The House prosecution panel has asked the Senate impeachment court to require Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team to provide clearer explanations for the use of witnesses in the upcoming trial, citing concerns that vague listings and broad descriptions could slow down proceedings.
In a submission before the court, prosecutors said the defense should be directed to specify the exact purpose of each witness, including those initially listed by the prosecution but later adopted by the defense.
House trial spokesperson Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the request is intended to prevent delays and ensure that witness presentations are properly defined under pre-trial rules.
“What we’ve noticed is that it’s more of a general denial. We don’t exactly know what would be the purpose of the witnesses that we have submitted to the Court,” Adiong said during a press briefing at the Senate.
He added that the prosecution is asking the court to compel compliance with pre-trial guidelines, which require both sides to summarize the relevance of their intended witnesses and evidence.
Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co said the defense had used broad language in describing witness roles, which she said makes it difficult to assess their specific relevance to the case.
The prosecution also raised concern over the defense’s move to adopt prosecution witnesses without clearly explaining why their testimonies would need to be reintroduced during trial.
Legal spokesperson Atty. Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said the court should ensure that such moves are justified, noting that cross-examination already provides the defense an opportunity to challenge prosecution witnesses when they are presented.
“That is exactly the purpose of cross-examination,” Tolosa said, adding that witnesses cannot simply be recalled without proper justification.
Adiong said the prosecution sees the pattern of general denials and witness adoption as a lack of clarity in the defense’s position.
“It appears now that they are engaging in a fishing expedition because we don’t exactly know what purpose they will assign to those witnesses,” he said.
Co stressed that the request is meant to protect the time of the impeachment court and avoid unnecessary repetition of testimony.
The prosecution maintained it is not opposing the inclusion of any witness at this stage but is asking the court to require a clearer explanation of their relevance before trial proceedings move forward.
Tolosa reiterated that the issue is procedural, not substantive, and is aimed at ensuring orderly presentation of evidence once the impeachment trial begins.