MORE than 50 percent of the documentary evidence in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte has already been formally marked, according to House prosecutors.
House prosecutor and Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said the pre-marking process is progressing steadily, with the volume of documents already processed giving prosecutors confidence that the July 6 start of trial will proceed as scheduled.
De Lima made the statement during the fourth day of pre-trial proceedings before the Senate impeachment court, where both prosecution and defense panels are reviewing and marking exhibits ahead of the formal trial.
She noted that despite the extensive documentary record, the process is moving faster than initially expected, aided by procedural adjustments implemented by the Senate.
These include the expansion of marking teams from four to six and the extension of working hours from 9 am to 7 pm to accommodate the volume of materials.
“I was observing them because I’ve been present since the start of the pre-trial conference kanina na napapabilis na po talaga ‘yung proseso,” De Lima said.
She said evidence under Article 2 of the impeachment complaint, which covers alleged unexplained wealth, may be completed within the day or by Thursday, citing fewer documents compared to Article 1.
“Well today umaasa kami, hopefully doon sa Article 2, unexplained wealth, because hindi naman ganun ka-voluminous compared with the documents devoted for Article 1,” she added.
De Lima said the more complex task remains the marking of confidential fund-related evidence under Article 1, particularly documents such as acknowledgment receipts linked to alleged recipients.
She also pointed out that the process has been slowed by procedural safeguards requiring both prosecution and defense representatives to countersign marked exhibits, a condition reportedly insisted upon by the defense.
Despite these challenges, prosecutors maintained that the pre-trial phase is on track and will not delay the scheduled opening of the impeachment trial.