The preparations of the House prosecution panel for the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte are nearly in the final stage, three months ahead of the scheduled grueling proceeding.

According to House prosecutor Lorenz Defensor, their team is already “80 percent ready,” with developments mainly focusing on the possible defenses that may be raised by Duterte’s legal defense camp.

“Right now, we are not onlya preparing the evidence for the prosecution, but we are also anticipating what the other camp might raise to block the evidence,” Defensor told reporters, partly in Filipino, in a virtual presser on Wednesday.

The Iloilo lawmaker reiterated that the prosecution panel has also been actively conducting mock trials, allowing them to navigate the complexities of the trial and refine their strategy.

"We are preparing our testimonial and documentary evidence. And we have conducted a run-through of what an impeachment court would feel like, anticipating possible objections from the defense team,” he stated.

Aside from House prosecutors, a group of “experienced” private litigators are also expected to appear before the Senate impeachment court, assisting House lawmakers with presenting evidence to secure the VP’s conviction.

“They are litigators, practicing lawyers who have had experience in previous impeachments,” Defensor stated, though he did not disclose their names yet.

The impeached VP is currently in The Hague, Netherlands, attending to the needs of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained in the International Criminal Court awaiting trial for alleged crimes against humanity related to the bloody war on drugs waged by his administration.

She has said she would only return to the Philippines after a relative arrives to take over for her. But a week after her sister, Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, arrived in The Hague along with her mother Honeylet, the senior Duterte’s common-law partner, the VP has yet to announce plans for when to fly back to the country.

Based on the Senate's timetable, the issuance of summons—requireing the impeached official to file his/her answer to the allegations under articles of impeachment within a non-extendible period of ten days from receipt—is scheduled on June 4, two days after Congress resumes session from a four-month election campaign break.

The trial will begin on June 30, or after the 20th Congress takes over and 12 new senators are sworn in.

According to Defensor, VP Duterte has the sole prerogative of whether or not to physically appear during her trial. As long as she is represented by her counsel, the trial may proceed without her presence.

But Defensor added, “But remember, her personal appearance would say a lot with respect to her accountability, with respect to transparency in the trial.”

"The nation wants to know how she spent the confidential and intelligence funds. And a straight answer from her would answer all the questions," he concluded.

The House of Representatives impeached VP Duterte on February 5, outlining seven impeachable offenses against her, including betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

A total of 215 lawmakers, or more than double the required 1/3 votes (102 signatories), endorsed the impeachment complaint against her in the Senate, which will sit as the trial court.

The Senate will need a two-thirds vote or at least 16 of the 24 sitting senators to convict Duterte. If convicted, she will be permanently disqualified from holding any public office, including her alleged ambition to succeed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the 2028 elections.

The articles of impeachment were anchored on Duterte’s alleged plot to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Romualdez killed, as well as the purported misappropriation of P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to her office and the Department of Education during her tenure as its secretary.

Duterte has repeatedly denied the allegations, deeming it a “well-funded” and “coordinated political attack” to derail her future political ambitions.