Panel says trial days may be reduced without compromising presentation of evidence and key witnesses
By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The House prosecution panel has expressed its willingness to shorten the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte following an appeal by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian for both the prosecution and defense to streamline the proceedings.
The move comes amid concerns that impeachment trials in the country could stretch for as long as seven to eight months if the current timetable is maintained.
Under the proposed schedule, the impeachment court has allotted a total of 92 trial days, with the House prosecution requesting 62 days to present its case and the defense seeking 30 days.
Atty. Benjamin Tolosa, resource spokesperson for the House prosecution panel, said the prosecution is prepared to reduce the number of trial days, provided that doing so will not undermine its responsibility to present a complete and compelling case.
“We will do our best to expedite the proceedings without sacrificing the quality of our work,” Tolosa said, stressing that the prosecution must be given sufficient opportunity to present its documentary evidence and key witnesses.
He added that both the prosecution and the defense have several documentary exhibits in common, a circumstance that could help streamline the presentation of evidence and shorten the overall duration of the trial.
Senate President Gatchalian earlier urged both camps to cooperate in ensuring a more efficient impeachment process while safeguarding the constitutional rights of all parties and preserving the integrity of the proceedings.
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