MANILA — The House prosecution panel may forfeit presenting evidence for Article III, which covers bribery allegations against Vice President Sara Duterte, if time runs short ahead of the Senate impeachment court’s planned one-month recess in October.
Speaking in a radio interview on Sunday, September 27, prosecution team member Atty. Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. stated that the panel is pushing to conclude its evidence presentation before the proceedings pause in mid-October.
He explained that whether prosecutors move forward with Article III will hinge on the speed of the ongoing trial and the remaining days available before the scheduled break.
”Isa po ‘yan sa mga possibilities at mayroon naman hong right o option na gawin ‘yan kung ipepresenta po o hindi na. Nasa prosecution naman po yan,” Tolosa said.
”Pero hindi pa naman final yun as of today, yung decision na ‘yon kasi madami pang mga bagay na we’re considering tulad nung timeline,” he added.
To streamline the proceedings, the prosecution panel previously decided against calling redundant witnesses or presenting cumulative evidence. Tolosa noted that several individuals were already removed from the witness list after prosecutors determined their planned testimonies were already adequately covered by existing evidence.
The impeachment case against Duterte spans four distinct articles: the alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and grave threats.
Tolosa emphasized that the team remains committed to presenting only essential evidence to prove their case without causing unnecessary delays to the trial timeline.
The Senate sitting as an impeachment court will take a one-month break in October before resuming the trial under its designated schedule.