By el Amigo
MANILA — The House prosecution panel is supporting a proposal to move the Senate impeachment court’s proceedings to 3 p.m. and add Friday as a trial day to make up for delays caused by recent bad weather.
House impeachment team adviser and spokesperson Ace Barbers said holding the trial in the afternoon would allow senators and House members to perform their legislative duties in the morning before turning their attention to the impeachment case.
Barbers said the arrangement would give the impeachment court more time to tackle the case without disrupting the Senate’s regular legislative work.
“Morning ’yung legislative work, and then 3 p.m. one to sawa, ’ika nga, eh doon na natin talakayin itong impeachment,” Barbers said during an online press briefing.
He stressed that the impeachment proceedings are equally important and should be given sufficient time alongside the regular work of Congress.
Barbers also proposed using Fridays for full-day trial sessions, noting that the Senate generally has committee hearings on Thursdays and could therefore retain that schedule.
He said the additional day could help the impeachment court recover time lost to disruptions and prevent the trial from extending unnecessarily for several months.
The proposal followed the cancellation of impeachment proceedings on Tuesday and Wednesday because of adverse weather conditions. The disruptions delayed the prosecution’s presentation of evidence concerning Article I, which involves allegations over the misuse and questionable liquidation of PHP612.5 million in confidential funds attributed to Vice President Sara Duterte.
Under the existing arrangement, the Senate impeachment court conducts hearings from Monday to Wednesday, typically from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., before senators proceed to their regular plenary session.
House prosecutors’ counsel Lorna Kapunan also expressed support for the proposed adjustment, saying an afternoon start would allow the court to continue hearings into the evening rather than stopping when the Senate’s plenary session begins.
“For me, the sooner the better,” Kapunan said when asked when the proposed schedule should take effect.
The prosecution panel said adding more trial hours and another hearing day could help maintain momentum and bring the impeachment proceedings closer to resolution.
elamigo/xf
