Prosecution eyes end-September wrap of evidence in Sara impeachment trial

House prosecutor Rep. Terry Ridon said the prosecution panel hopes to complete its presentation of evidence in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial by the end of September, backing calls for an expedited proceeding that could conclude before December.

“We will try to wrap up all of the presentation of evidence hopefully by the end of next month so that the defense will have an opportunity to present their evidence from October up to the middle of November,” Ridon said in an online briefing Friday.

Ridon made the statement when asked about Senate President Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian’s target of completing the trial by December.

Gatchalian earlier acknowledged that the proceedings could stretch into 2027 if hearings continue at their current pace, particularly after suspensions disrupted the trial schedule.

“If it continues this way, I think it will stretch into the coming year. Our target, hopefully, is by December. So the Senate will adjust so the target of one witness per day will be achievable,” Gatchalian said in a radio interview.

Ridon said the prosecution supports efforts to speed up the proceedings, noting that Duterte herself has called for a swift conclusion.

“We share the same sentiment as the Senate President that the trial will finish at the earliest time,” Ridon said.

“Hopefully before December the trial will finish,” he added.

Gatchalian earlier said senators were considering holding impeachment proceedings four days a week and moving the start of hearings back to 3 p.m. He said senators had reached a “consensus,” but did not disclose the final arrangement.

PSA witnesses up next

Meanwhile, Ridon said the prosecution expects to call several witnesses next week as it continues presenting evidence on the alleged misuse of confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education.

Among them are representatives of the Philippine Statistics Authority, who are expected to testify on whether names appearing on acknowledgment receipts for confidential fund expenditures are registered in the agency’s database.

During House Committee on Justice hearings, the PSA said names including “Mary Grace Piattos” and “Milky Secuya” did not appear in its database.

Ridon said their testimony would be material to the prosecution’s case because the acknowledgment receipts form part of the paper trail for the confidential funds.

“It just adds to the fact that there was something anomalous, a misuse of public funds, not just for the P125 million confidential funds but for the entire confidential funds being discussed for 2022 and 2023,” he said.

Ridon also said the Commission on Audit is asking Duterte to personally restitute P448 million.

The impeachment trial is scheduled to resume Monday, 24 August, after two consecutive suspensions due to inclement weather in Metro Manila.