By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Senate Impeachment Court has formally transmitted its pretrial order to both the House prosecution panel and the defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte, marking another major procedural milestone ahead of the impeachment trial set to begin on July 6.
Impeachment Court Clerk Renato Bantug confirmed Monday that the order was electronically sent to both parties before printed copies would be personally delivered.
“Released to the parties by electronic mail. Printed copies to be hand-delivered,” Bantug said in a text message.
According to the clerk of court, the defense received the document at 5:23 p.m., while the prosecution received its copy one minute later at 5:24 p.m.
The pretrial order summarizes the Senate impeachment court’s rulings and directives following the five-day pretrial conference, during which both camps identified their documentary evidence, witnesses, and procedural issues.
The document is expected to establish the framework for the proceedings, including the sequence of the trial, the number of hearing days, and the order in which the four Articles of Impeachment will be presented before the impeachment court.
It also reflects the court’s initial findings on issues raised during the pretrial stage.
Under the impeachment rules, both the prosecution and the defense have three days to submit their comments or objections to the pretrial order.
The Senate impeachment court may revise portions of the order after evaluating the parties’ responses before issuing its final version governing the conduct of the trial.
Vice President Duterte is facing four Articles of Impeachment approved by the House of Representatives.
The charges include allegations involving the misuse of approximately P612.5 million in confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education between 2022 and 2023; alleged accumulation of unexplained wealth and failure to fully disclose assets; alleged bribery and corruption through monetary gifts and secret payments to Department of Education officials; and accusations arising from statements in which she allegedly disclosed contracting a hitman to target President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Duterte has denied the allegations against her.
With the pretrial phase now effectively completed, the impeachment court is expected to proceed with the formal trial on July 6, when both the prosecution and the defense will begin presenting evidence and witnesses in one of the country’s most consequential constitutional proceedings in recent years.
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