The House prosecution panel has expanded its list of witnesses for the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, exceeding the previous number of 25, as preparations move into the pre-trial stage, according to Lead Prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro.
Luistro said the increase was made in line with court rules, which generally prevent both parties from presenting witnesses during trial if they were not included in the pre-trial submissions.
“So if before we were trying to limit corroborative witnesses and select only the most important ones, we wanted to make sure that all testimonies will be presented in court, and that is why we considered other witnesses whose testimonies will likewise be significant,” she said.
In an earlier radio interview, Luistro said the prosecution team was confident that 25 witnesses were enough to support its case for Duterte’s conviction.
Among the confirmed witnesses, Luistro said, are former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV and Ramil Madriaga, who was tagged as Duterte’s alleged bagman. Both had appeared at House hearings related to the impeachment case.
Trillanes and Madriaga testified on allegations surrounding Duterte’s supposed unexplained wealth and her alleged misuse of confidential funds, issues that were included in the Articles of Impeachment transmitted to the Senate.
San Juan Lone District Rep. Ysabel Zamora, however, clarified that while court procedures generally require both sides to disclose their witnesses during pre-trial, the prosecution may withhold specific identities for security reasons.
“We are also allowed to make a reservation of witnesses as long as we are able to give a description of the witness and the purpose for which they will be presented,” Zamora explained.
Luistro said the same principle may apply to documentary evidence, particularly records and reports that may not yet be readily available during the pre-trial process.
Under an order issued by Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian dated 8 June, both the prosecution and defense were directed to submit their pre-trial briefs by 15 June, while the pre-trial conference is scheduled for 18 June.
Luistro said the next stage would focus on both sides marking their evidence as exhibits and determining the total number of trial dates needed.
Asked how long the impeachment trial may take, Luistro said that if proceedings begin as scheduled on 6 July, the trial could be completed by September.
“If there is no delay and it is continuous, I think we can finish this in three months,” she said.