The House prosecution panel on Monday submitted a 57-page pre-trial brief, along with documentary evidence it intends to present during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, ahead of the June 18 pre-trial conference before the Senate impeachment court.
House Secretary General Atty. Cheloy Garafil filed the pleading on behalf of the 11-member prosecution team led by House Committee on Justice Chairperson and Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro.
Garafil said the prosecution submitted 29 copies of the brief, which is sufficient for the 24 senator-judges who will sit as members of the impeachment court.
“We filed 29 copies of the legal brief, which is more than enough copies for all senators, 24 of them,” Garafil told reporters.
The prosecution panel also submitted the entries of appearance of 10 private lawyers who will assist House prosecutors during the proceedings.
When asked about the contents of the brief, Garafil declined to provide details.
“With respect to the contents of the brief, I’m not authorized to speak about it,” she said.
She also did not elaborate on the witnesses identified in the prosecution’s submission.
Earlier in the day, Luistro said during a press conference that the pre-trial brief includes proposed stipulations of fact as well as a list of witnesses and documentary evidence the prosecution intends to present before the Senate impeachment court.
She also said the prosecution plans to present more than 30 witnesses during the impeachment trial, noting that the list has been expanded to include additional individuals whose testimonies may help substantiate the allegations in the Articles of Impeachment.
“It is more than 25. The witnesses are not only 25, it’s not only 30, it’s even more,” Luistro said.
Luistro explained that impeachment rules generally require witnesses to be identified during pre-trial proceedings before they can testify during the trial.
She added that the rules also allow parties to reserve certain witnesses and documents, provided their relevance and purpose are properly indicated.
According to her, the mechanism also helps address security considerations for witnesses and situations where documents are not yet immediately available at the pre-trial stage.
The filing comes days before the Senate impeachment court’s scheduled pre-trial conference on June 18, where both sides are expected to identify evidence, witnesses, and procedural matters governing the trial.
Last week, Luistro presented the first batch of private prosecutors who will assist the House panel on a pro bono basis, under the direct control and supervision of the prosecution team.
The prosecution panel has said it is prepared to present evidence supporting all four Articles of Impeachment, which include allegations of misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and threats against top government officials.