The upcoming pre-trial order from the Senate impeachment court will serve as the guiding framework for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, according to House prosecution panel lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro.
Luistro, the Representative for Batangas’ 2nd District, explained that the order will outline the trial’s parameters based on the pre-trial briefs submitted by both parties and the discussions held during the pre-trial conference.
The official order is expected to be released ahead of the formal trial, which is scheduled to begin on July 6.
“In other words, ang purpose ng ating pre-trial conference is to simplify, to expedite, and to come up with a fair trial moving forward,” Luistro said in a radio interview on Friday.
“So lahat parang ito ang blueprint, parang ito ang roadmap, parang ito ang order na susundan na natin when we start the trial,” she added. “As a matter of fact, bawal mag-deviate from the pre-trial order as a matter of rule.”
The prosecutor emphasized that the pre-trial order will function as a strict set of rules rather than a mere summary of previous meetings, legally binding both sides to its terms throughout the proceedings.
The pre-trial conference opened on June 18 and will resume on June 22, with both legal teams continuing to mark evidence and establish the procedural ground rules for the trial.
“Pag sinabi natin na Pre-Trial Conference, una pinag-uusapan ‘yung mga stipulation of facts kung tawagin, ano ang pwede pagka-sunduan na, na hindi na papatunayan during the trial at ano yung ang hindi payagan ng kabilang panig,” Luistro explained.
“So we call that stipulation of facts; ang sagot mo doon either ina-admit mo o itinatanggi mo, pag ina-admit ng kabila, ibig sabihin undisputed na siya and if it is undisputed, hindi nakasama sa pagtatalunan pa during the trial,” she added.
Luistro noted that establishing these undisputed facts will streamline the process.
Furthermore, she stated that the Senate impeachment court will review the final list of witnesses and evidence submitted by both sides to calculate exactly how many trial dates will be required to conclude the case.