(UPDATE) THE Senate, sitting as Impeachment Court, on Monday released the pre-trial order (PTO) containing the guidelines for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 6.
The PTO contained the trial dates and the key points of the recently concluded pre-trial conference during which the defense and prosecution teams marked their respective evidence.
“Released to the parties by electronic mail. Printed copies to be hand delivered [to the concerned parties],” Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. said in a text message.
Bantug, also the impeachment court’s clerk of court, said the PTO was emailed to the defense team at 5:23 p.m. and the prosecution team a minute later.
Bantug on Sunday said the Senate premises will be open to the public for those who would want to watch the impeachment trial, which is set start on July 6, as some seats would be allocated to the public.
Walk-ins are allowed but they need to register at the Senate’s Visitor Management. Reservations can be made online, he said.
However, Bantug said the plenary hall has limited seating capacity, with only 340 in the gallery and 30 at the VIP box.
More prosecutors
House prosecutors, meanwhile, announced that former Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te and three other seasoned lawyers would join the private prosecution panel.
Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima, a member of the prosecution team, identified the others as Reynaldo Robles, Arnold Labay, and Mae Divinagracia.
Te has argued major constitutional and human rights cases before the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, de Lima said.
Robles, who finished in 10th place in the 1990 bar exams, has experience in criminal and civil litigation, corporate law, election law, labor, taxation and public-private partnership work.
Labay has decades of litigation practice under his belt.
Divinagracia has handled commercial, civil and criminal litigation, arbitration, product liability, corporate rehabilitation, intra-corporate disputes, labor and family law.
House prosecutors also named former lawmaker Ace Barbers as an additional spokesman and as impeachment adviser.
“He (Barbers) brings to the team decades of legislative experience, a strong record in public accountability work, and a clear, direct communication style that will help explain the impeachment process and its significance to the Filipino people,” de Lima said.
Police are ready The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said they are ready with their security deployment to ensure safety within Senate premises as the impeachment trial approaches.
“We will be deploying appropriate number of personnel to ensure the peaceful conduct of the impeachment trial,” PCol. Allen Rae Co, PNP spokesman said in a briefing at Camp Crame on Monday.
“We’ve also closely coordinated with the Senate and other concerned agencies to ensure there will be no problem,” Co added.
The PNP said it is up to the Senate leadership to decide if it wants to have police personnel inside the premises.
As of this time, Co said they have not monitored any threat.
Co also said the PNP said it will have to enforce the arrest warrant on Sen. Ronald dela Rosa should he decide to appear at the Senate during the impeachment trial.
After six months in hiding, dela Rosa appeared at the Senate on May 11 to cast his vote in favor of the change in Senate leadership.
Duterte is set to stand trial before the Senate as an impeachment court to face allegations of misusing public funds, amassing unexplained wealth, bribing public officials and threatening the life of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
