The House prosecution panel on Monday assured the public that transparency will be maintained even if the Senate impeachment court holds the June 18 pre-trial conference for Vice President Sara Duterte behind closed doors.
Lead prosecutor and House Committee on Justice Chair Rep. Gerville Luistro said the decision should not be viewed as an effort to withhold information, stressing that the proceedings are largely technical and procedural in nature.
The lawmaker said pre-trial conferences typically involve lengthy discussions on evidence marking, stipulations of fact, and procedural agreements between prosecution and defense teams, which can take several days to complete.
“We are not against making the pre-trial conference open to the public. As a matter of fact, we are in support of that,” she said, adding that the limitation is primarily due to procedural rules set by the impeachment court.
Prosecutor and San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora said much of the session will involve technical steps such as identifying and marking exhibits, noting that these processes are repetitive and time-consuming. She added that the outcome will be reflected in a formal pre-trial order that will be made public.
House impeachment spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the prosecution team is prepared to disclose key developments, subject to court directives, and assured the public that both sides will be present during the proceedings, preventing any irregular arrangements.
Luistro emphasized that while the pre-trial may be closed to the public, the substantive issues and evidence will still be presented during the actual trial, which is scheduled to begin on July 6.