The House prosecution panel on Wednesday filed a manifestation before the Senate Impeachment Court, seeking four additional pre-trial measures to ensure an orderly, transparent, and efficient impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.
In a pleading titled “Manifestation with Proposal on Certain Additional Pre-Trial Matters,” the prosecutors requested that the Court allow the use of Filipino and English during proceedings, require advance disclosure of witnesses, permit both public and private prosecutors to examine witnesses, and open a sealed Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) records box currently under the Court’s custody.
The filing is part of ongoing pretrial proceedings ahead of the formal start of the impeachment trial, scheduled for July 6.
On language use, the prosecution proposed that counsel and witnesses be allowed to speak in either Filipino or English during hearings.
It said allowing Filipino would make the proceedings more accessible to the public and enable witnesses to express themselves more clearly and naturally, noting that the case involves matters of significant public interest that should remain understandable to ordinary Filipinos.
The prosecution also expressed a willingness to adopt a defense proposal requiring both sides to disclose their intended witnesses at least 3 calendar days before they are scheduled to testify.
According to the filing, the defense argued that advance notice would allow adequate preparation for the examination of witnesses. While prosecutors said the identities of their witnesses and the nature of their testimonies have already been disclosed in their Pre-Trial Brief, they agreed to the arrangement to avoid delays once trial begins.
The panel said the measure would help ensure that neither side could later raise surprise or lack of preparation as grounds for postponements.
The prosecution likewise asked the Court to allow both public prosecutors and private prosecutors to conduct witness examinations during the trial.
Under the proposal, designated members of both groups would be permitted to conduct direct, cross, and redirect examination, as well as other forms of witness questioning.
The prosecution said the impeachment case involves complex issues spanning public finance, government auditing, confidential funds, banking records, and other specialized matters that may require expertise across multiple areas. It added that allowing both sets of prosecutors to participate would help ensure more efficient presentation of evidence.
It also said it would not object if a similar arrangement were extended to the defense panel.
The most significant proposal concerns a sealed BIR box transmitted to the Senate as part of the impeachment records.
The prosecution asked the Court to open the box under its supervision, conduct an inventory of its contents, and allow the records to be pre-marked before trial.
According to the filing, both parties have identified BIR-related documents among their reserved evidence, making it necessary to determine early what records are contained in the sealed package.
The prosecution stressed that opening the box would not automatically render any document admissible as evidence, noting that issues of authenticity, admissibility, relevance, and evidentiary value would still be decided by the Impeachment Court during trial.
It argued that an inventory would enhance transparency, prevent disputes over access to documents, and allow both sides to prepare more efficiently.
House prosecutors described the proposals as practical pre-trial measures intended to reduce procedural delays and ensure that the impeachment proceedings remain focused on evidence and witness testimony.
The Senate Impeachment Court is expected to deliberate on the requests as pre-trial proceedings continue ahead of the July 6 trial date.