The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte said Wednesday it expects the impeachment trial to enter a more technical phase as prosecutors begin presenting Commission on Audit (COA) witnesses, but vowed to keep cross-examinations limited to issues directly relevant to the charges.

Defense counsel Michael Poa said proceedings are likely to become more extensive once the prosecution presents state auditors expected to testify on audit findings involving confidential funds released to Duterte's offices.

"It will be more complicated when it comes to COA because I'm sure the prosecution will have more questions to make its case," Poa told reporters after Wednesday's hearing.

"But I'm still hoping that it won't take too long. It will depend on how the proceedings go," he added.

The prosecution is set to call Roderick Wamil, a former state auditor from the Commission on Audit's Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office; Xylene Mae Del Campo, a state auditor from the same office; and Marivic Pareja, director of the House of Representatives' Legislative Information Resources Management Department.

The witnesses are expected to present audit records and legislative documents linked to the prosecution's allegation that Duterte misused P612.5 million in confidential funds released to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) between December 2022 and July 2023. 

Poa said the defense would maintain the same approach it adopted during the first two prosecution witnesses—questioning only matters material to the impeachment complaint.

"As much as possible, if there's no need to question official documents and other matters, we won't do it," he said.

The defense waived cross-examination of the prosecution's first witness, who authenticated government checks, and briefly questioned former Land Bank branch manager Violeta Constantino, saying there was no need to prolong testimony over undisputed matters.

Poa also downplayed Constantino's description of the cash withdrawals as "unusual," saying it reflected only her banking experience and did not bear on the central issue before the impeachment court.

"The issue here is the use of the funds, not the withdrawal of the funds," he said.