THE House prosecution panel has formally submitted its evidence on Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth ahead of the October 23 deadline, seeking to prevent procedural disputes from delaying the resumption of her impeachment trial on November 9.
Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan said the panel deliberately filed its formal offer of evidence on Tuesday to give the defense time to submit comments and objections and allow the Senate Impeachment Court to resolve evidentiary issues before the next hearing.
The formal offer identifies the documentary and testimonial evidence the prosecution wants the senator-judges to admit, including financial records and testimony concerning assets, corporate interests and transactions allegedly involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
‘It has not been a break for us, really, because, as everybody knows, we have a 10-day deadline to file our formal offer on the remaining article, which is unexplained wealth. And we filed it [Tuesday],’ Kapunan said in a TV interview.
She explained that the defense’s 10-day period for filing objections begins upon receipt of the prosecution’s submission, making an early filing crucial to keeping the trial on schedule.
‘Our deadline is supposed to be the day after tomorrow [October 23], but we filed it today only because the reckoning period for the defense starts from the time they receive it,’ Kapunan said.
Kapunan said the presiding officer must rule on the defense’s objections before the proceedings resume. She added that Duterte’s lawyers are required to identify their witnesses five days before the trial, allowing time for subpoenas to be issued and for the prosecution to prepare for cross-examination.
‘Five days before the trial, they have to name their witnesses. Five days before the trial,’ she stressed.