MANILA – The House prosecution team is preparing to present over 30 witnesses in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro announced on Monday.
Luistro said the number of witnesses increased as prosecutors added more individuals whose accounts are considered important in establishing the allegations contained in the impeachment complaint.
She explained that although the prosecution is readying a larger pool of witnesses, some identities and documents may remain undisclosed during the pre-trial phase due to safety concerns and procedural rules.
According to Luistro, impeachment procedures require that witnesses be identified during pre-trial so they can later be allowed to testify, prompting the prosecution to expand its list to ensure all necessary testimony is covered.
“We originally tried to limit it to only the key witnesses, but we realized we needed more to fully support the case,” she said.
On Monday, the prosecution panel submitted its pre-trial brief to the Senate impeachment court, including proposed stipulations, documentary evidence, and the full witness list for the case.
Luistro also pointed out that the rules allow parties to reserve certain witnesses or evidence, as long as they provide sufficient description of their relevance and purpose.
San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora supported this, saying the rules permit withholding names of certain witnesses for protection purposes while still disclosing the nature of their testimony to the court.
She added that in sensitive areas such as banking-related testimony, witness identities may not be immediately revealed but their roles can be described in the pre-trial filings.
The prosecution is expected to rely heavily on documentary evidence, particularly in allegations involving confidential funds and unexplained wealth.
The Senate impeachment court has set its pre-trial conference for June 18, while the formal trial is scheduled to begin on July 6.
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