MANILA — The impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte are set to enter a crucial stage after the Senate impeachment court scheduled a pre-trial conference on June 18, a move expected to establish the framework for the formal trial.
House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon announced Tuesday that the impeachment court issued a Notice of Pre-Trial Conference directing both Duterte and the House prosecution panel to appear before the tribunal on June 18 at 9 a.m. in the Senate’s Senator C.M. Recto Room.
The notice, signed by acting Senate President and impeachment court presiding officer Sherwin Gatchalian, outlines a series of matters that must be addressed before the trial proper can begin. Among these are the identification of facts that are no longer disputed, the simplification of legal and factual issues, the marking of documentary and physical evidence, the identification of witnesses, and the determination of hearing schedules and the order of presentation of evidence.
According to Ridon, both parties have also been instructed to submit their pre-trial briefs by June 15. These documents will serve as roadmaps for the proceedings, containing summaries of admitted facts, proposed stipulations, issues requiring resolution, and lists of evidence and witnesses currently available to each side.
The impeachment court further directed parties who intend to reserve evidence or witnesses for later presentation to disclose the identities of those witnesses, describe the evidence involved, and explain its relevance at least three days before it is introduced during the trial.
Special provisions were likewise included for witnesses whose safety or security may be at risk. The court said identifying details may be withheld until the witness is presented, provided that the witness has already been included in the overall witness list and corresponding trial schedule.
To encourage open discussions and facilitate efficient case management, the pre-trial conference will be conducted in private and will not be accessible to members of the media or the public.
The court also warned that parties who fail to submit their pre-trial briefs on time or who do not attend the conference without a legally justified reason could lose the opportunity to present certain evidence or witnesses. In such cases, the impeachment court may proceed with issuing a pre-trial order based solely on the documents already submitted.
Ridon said the upcoming conference is expected to be a pivotal step in the impeachment proceedings, as it will help streamline the case, identify contested issues, organize the presentation of evidence, and establish the timetable that will govern the conduct of the trial against the Vice President.
The impeachment complaint against Duterte is among the most closely watched political cases in the country, with both the prosecution and defense expected to use the pre-trial process to define the scope and direction of the proceedings before the Senate tribunal.
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