Senate President Win Gatchalian and Senate impeachment court presiding officer Chiz Escudero on the second day of the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, 7 July.
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In an effort to expedite proceedings and maximize presentation of evidence, a member of the House prosecution panel said that their team has remained fully prepared to call two witnesses to the stand on a single trial date.
San Juan Rep. Ysabel Zamora explained that the prosecutors were open to presenting two witnesses, noting that the matter rested on whether the initial witness was presented in a swift manner and whether the Senate impeachment court would grant the same.
“We are prepared to present at least two witnesses a day. Of course we would have to wait until one witness finishes and if he will be allowed to testify by the presiding officer,” Zamora said during a radio interview.
The solon stated that during the first week of the trial, the prosecutors had already brought their second witness to the upper house in the event that there was enough time for them to take the witness stand during the trial.
However, with what unfolded, the direct and cross examination from both the prosecutors and the defense on National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) senior agent John Mark Calilung took two trial dates as questions concerning the authenticity of the recording of Vice President Sara Duterte’s verbally uttered threats were debated.
Zamora said that their intention when it came to presenting two witnesses was with the interest of expediting the proceedings, ensuring that witnesses are available if the circumstances line up for their presentation.
Notably, both parties in the trial have asked for a total of 92 trial dates for the proceedings, however, it was previously noted that the schedule may not be completely followed depending on how the trial proceeds.
For the prosecution, Zamora said that their schedule of presentation remained flexible, particularly as the testimonies, cross-examination, and objections that may be aired throughout the trial may derail set sequences.
“It is not definite because we have three witnesses and three trial dates for this week. We will just observe how it goes, because truthfully, the arrangement and plan changes every day,” she said.
During the last day of the impeachment trial on Wednesday, 8 July, House Prosecutor Rep. Lorenz Defensor said that their team intended to present NBI Regional Director Atty. Jeremy Lotoc, Office of the Vice President (OVP) Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez, and House official Capt. Belinda Bello as its next group of witnesses.
The testimonies of the three figures would be used in the prosecution's case concerning the fourth article of impeachment which concerns the verbal threats uttered by the Vice President.
