House prosecutors briefed at least 25 witnesses in the VP impeachment trial

UNION PROSECUTORS on Monday filed a pre-trial brief in the impeachment trial of Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio, detailing documentary evidence and at least 25 witnesses.

The brief includes proposed principles of fact that may cause minor problems during the trial, lead prosecutor and Batangas lawyer Gerville R. Luistro told a news conference.

“If they accept our proposal to make conditions, then there is no need to prove it,” he said. “But if they deny our request to say it, then it must be proven when we present evidence.”

House of Representatives Secretary-General Cheloy V. Garafil filed a report before the Senate hearings court at 5:20 p.m., his office said in a statement.

A copy of the filing was not immediately available to the media.

The identity of other witnesses and documentary evidence may not be disclosed at the pre-trial stage for security reasons, Ms. Luistro said.

“There are more than 25. The number of witnesses is not only 25, it is not only 30, it is more than that,” he said.

Prosecutors are preparing to release more documents, particularly on allegations related to secret funds and unexplained wealth.

The attorney said other articles of the indictment include many exhibits that will be marked during the trial.

“There are many… because you know there are two articles with big shows. These include allegations of unexplained wealth,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.

The House prosecutorial panel is composed of 11 congressmen and supported by 10 independent prosecutors. Members will attend a pre-trial conference on June 18 before the Senate, which is sitting as a trial court.

Ms. Luistro said prosecutors will likely raise procedural issues at the conference, including whether they should adopt an “open rule” in questioning witnesses and whether they allow the use of Filipino where possible.

“This is because we understand that this is a constitutional order, this is illegal, what is at stake is the interests of the Filipino people,” he said.

Under the statute of limitations, cross-examination and cross-examination are limited to matters raised during direct examination and preliminary questions.

The pre-trial conference will be closed to the media, although Ms. Luistro said all agreements reached by both sides will be disclosed in open proceedings.

“Whatever the conditions proposed by the prosecutor were accepted by the defendants, we will reveal them before the trial,” he said. “It’s the same with defense.”

He said both sides will present their list of witnesses and identify the documents that will be marked as evidence, which will be officially presented before the trial court.

“Also, all the documents that have been marked or will be marked will be revealed not only by the prosecutors, but also by the defense,” he added.

The Senate Court is expected to issue a pre-trial order after reviewing the submissions and agreements from the conference. The order shall describe the scope of the evidence, the witnesses and the procedures of the trial in an appropriate manner.

Mrs. Luistro said prosecutors intend to make the trial accessible to the public and urged both traditional and online platforms to ensure accurate reporting of developments in the case.

He also proposed measures to increase public access, including the translation of proceedings into various Philippine languages ​​so that more citizens can follow the proceedings.

“After all, this is a constitutional system,” he said. “We want the whole nation to go with us as we begin, continue and complete the impeachment case.”

The trial will begin on July 6. PJ Bacon