Impeach court to tackle VP’s alleged unexplained wealth on Sept. 14

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate impeachment court will tackle impeachment article II, or Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged amassing of unexplained wealth, on Monday, September 14 after the House prosecution withdrew its final witnesses for article I, referring to Duterte’s supposed misuse of confidential funds.

After the prosecution, in an unexpected move, forewent its 15 witnesses for impeachment article I, its period to present exhibits for the charge ended. 

The defense panel requested that article II be tackled after two weeks to prepare for the sudden change, particularly in examining the exhibits the prosecution plans to present.

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Defense counsel Michael Poa proposed, so as not to be accused of delaying the proceedings, to deduct the 14 days to the defense’s period of presentation.

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Presiding officer Senator-judge Francis Escuder, however, explained that the schedule must also be in consideration for the Senate’s other legislative responsibilities, particularly those on a tight deadline, such as the deliberations for the 2027 national budget.

READ: VP trial: Prosec forgoes remaining witnesses on confidential funds

“The presiding officer will be lenient with respect to when the counsel for the respondent will cross-examine the witness to be presented, and will simply allow the panel for prosecutors to present the following witness and conduct the direct without the respondent conducting their cross examination as of yet on the first witness they will present, then we’ll take it from there,” Escudero said.

This means that the prosecution may hold subsequent direct examinations to its witnesses as the defense panel prepares to conduct its cross examination. 

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The defense will be given the period to do their cross once they are ready to do so.

Before Monday, the prosecution was directed to provide a list of its first witnesses for article II, and both parties were ordered to mark the documents for the same charge. /gsg