The House prosecution panel may waive some witnesses and even some Articles of Impeachment if it determines that it has already presented enough evidence to secure the conviction of Vice President Sara Duterte, impeachment prosecutor and Manila Rep. Joel Chua said Sunday.
He said prosecutors are not required to call every witness or present all four articles if the case can be established through fewer testimonies and documentary evidence.
“Kung sa tingin namin, halimbawa ‘yung unang presentation namin nakita namin talagang matibay na matibay na, baka dagdagan na lang namin ng isa pa o dalawa, pagkatapos nun ay tatapusin na namin. So pwede namang mangyari ‘yun,” hesaid.
He explained that the prosecution will assess the strength of its evidence as the trial proceeds and may decide to stop presenting additional witnesses once it believes the case has been sufficiently proven.
Chua also clarified that the Senate impeachment court will not vote after each article is presented. Instead, senator-judges will vote only after the prosecution has completed its presentation, including any articles it may decide to waive.
“Hindi po, tatapusin po muna. Halimbawa pagkatapos nung Article 1, pupunta tayo sa Article 2, Article 3,” the solon said.
“Halimbawa sa tingin namin hanggang Article 3 lang, or hanggang Article 2 lang, pwede na naming i-waive ‘yung dalawa, saka pa lamang mabobotohan kada article. So kailangan tapusin muna lahat,” he added.
Chua’s remarks shed light on how the prosecution may streamline the trial despite listing several witnesses and pursuing four Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.
The House prosecution panel earlier said the articles would be presented in sequence, starting with the alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other top officials, followed by the alleged misuse of confidential funds, alleged bribery involving Department of Education personnel, and alleged unexplained wealth.
Chua said prosecutors will decide based on the evidence presented during trial whether additional witnesses or articles are still necessary.
The Senate impeachment court is scheduled to begin the trial proper on July 6.