(UPDATE) SENATE President Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday said the senators are finding ways to speed up the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, which he anticipates could stretch until February 2027.
The Senate, sitting as the Impeachment Court, will start the trial on July 7.
Gatchalian said the Senate could take seven or eight months because the chamber has also key legislative measures to tackle, including the proposed 2027 national budget.
The Senate also plans to schedule hearings on proposals amending the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act following recent school violence.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, meanwhile, will resume investigation of the flood control fund scandal.
“Actually, based on our estimates, the impeachment trial will run from seven to eight months. If we are going to start in July, we may be able to finish by February,” Gatchalian said in a radio interview.
“That’s why we are studying how we can expedite the impeachment trial because the Senate is not only occupied with the impeachment. We also have to tackle proposed laws,” he said.
“But we will insist on finishing all the preliminaries. Tomorrow (June 29) we will issue the pre-trial order,” Gatchalian said.
Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr., who serves as the clerk of court for the impeachment trial, said the pre-trial serves as the “roadmap” or guide for the proceedings.
“We will give both camps three days to file their comments. And then after that we will prepare for the impeachment this coming July 6,” Gatchalian said.
He said deliberating the budget measure “is one of the most difficult activities of the Senate” and will take up most of the chamber’s time.
“So we are really studying that and of course, we will consult the prosecution and defense on how we can shorten the process and if they can lower the number of witnesses,” Gatchalian said.
He said there is a need to consult with the prosecution and defense on how to sift through the 10,000 pieces of evidence that have been marked.
“So just imagine the time that would be spent if these 10,000 pieces would all be presented,” he said.
The pre-trial conference ended June 25 with the House prosecution panel blaming the defense for the delay in terminating the procedure.
The proceedings, which started on June 18 and wrapped up after five working sessions, revolved mainly around the preliminary marking and evaluation of evidence.
“I placed on record that that position of the defense actually prolonged the process of pre-marking the exhibits of both the defense and the prosecution,” said Rep. Gerville Luistro, who heads the House prosecution team.
In one instance, both camps had to mark about 8,000 pieces of evidence instead of 4,000 because the defense insisted on marking their documents separately, even though the same documents had been presented by the prosecution.
“We put on record our observation about the common exhibits that, in spite of the willingness of the prosecution that we share the marking in the same exhibit because, after all, it is exactly the same, that’s why we call it common exhibit, the defense maintained their position to put their marking on a separate set of documents,” she said.
On Sunday, Rep. Joel Chua said the prosecution team will see the trial through regardless of how long it may take.
“No letting go,” Chua, one of the prosecutors, said in Filipino in a radio interview.
“We will just do it to the best of our ability, all we can to present to our countrymen and impeachment court the evidence based per article.”
Duterte is facing charges over misuse of confidential funds, amassing unexplained wealth, bribery, and uttering remarks to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
If found guilty in any of the charges, she will be ousted as vice president and banned from holding any future public office.
The prosecutors had asked the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, to allot 62 trial dates to present its evidence and witnesses.
