Sara Duterte impeachment pre-trial Day 2 swamped by voluminous documents

MANILA, Philippines – The second day of the impeachment pre-trial proceeding against Vice President Sara Duterte had to deal with voluminous documents on the allegation of misuse of confidential funds.

The House prosecution panel, Duterte’s defense team, and Senate Clerk of Court Renato Bantug said on Monday, June 22, that there are at least 4,000 documentary pieces of evidence for the first article on alleged misuse by Duterte of P612.5 million in confidential funds as head of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.

Duterte’s defense team spokesperson Michael Poa said the pre-trial will likely extend until Thursday, June 25, the last scheduled day of the pre-trial.

Pre-trial conference is the part of the impeachment proceedings where the parties — the House prosecution team and Duterte’s defense lawyers — discuss and mark evidence, list possible witnesses, set the trial dates, stipulate facts, and propose the sequence of the presentation of evidence.

On the first day of pre-trial on Thursday, June 18, both sides already marked the evidence for the third article, which involves alleged bribery of Department of Education officials, and the fourth article, which accuses Duterte of grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family.

On Monday, House prosecution spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong also presented the panel’s proposed sequence for tackling the articles of impeachment:

1. Article 4 – Alleged assassination plot
2. Article 1 – Use of confidential funds
3. Article 3 – Alleged bribery of Department of Education officials
4. Article 2 – Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) and alleged unexplained wealth

The proposed order is subject to the approval of the Senate impeachment court.

Newly appointed prosecution spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said the House panel is seeking 62 trial days, more than double the 30 days requested by the defense. The final schedule will still depend on the Senate impeachment court, with the expected duration to be reflected in the pre-trial order, Tolosa said.

The House prosecution earlier manifested before the Clerk of Court that it would seek to compel the defense team to specify the purpose of each witness, arguing that the stated purposes were merely “general wording,” such as to “debunk allegations” against Duterte.

In a press conference on Monday morning, House lead trial prosecutor Jinky Luistro also pushed back against claims that Duterte’s defense team had outperformed the prosecution during the first day of the pre-trial.

“That is not true. I charge it as ‘fake news,’ and people should become very cautious now in watching it on social media. We should be careful in deciphering what is correct and what is false… I will not let the Filipinos’ fight be eaten alive,” Luistro said in a mix of English and Filipino. –with reports from Dwight de Leon and Jairo Bolledo/Rappler.com