The Senate impeachment court is tightening its schedule for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, with Senate President Win Gatchalian saying Wednesday that a verdict could be reached before December.
“Hopefully, before December, matapos na natin. Hopefully, ha? May verdict, may verdict, may verdict,” Gatchalian said in an ambush interview at the Senate.
He said the timeline would still depend on the number of witnesses to be presented by both sides, but the prosecution’s decision to reduce its witness list has allowed the court to compress the proceedings.
“With this new development, yung prosecution, nagbawas rin sila ng number of witnesses. Tapos may bago kami ng timetable ngayon, 10 days, the full day,” Gatchalian said.
The full-day hearings will run from 10 a.m. until the court finishes its work, with no budget deliberations scheduled during those days.
“Malaking bagay yun. In fact, malaking kabawasan yun sa timetable (That is a big thing. In fact, that is a big reduction in the timetable),” he said.
The Senate president said the court hopes to hear two to three witnesses each day once the full-day schedule starts, potentially shortening the time needed to complete the prosecution’s presentation.
The pace could change once the defense begins presenting its evidence, however. Gatchalian said the duration of that phase would depend on the number of witnesses the defense chooses to call after the prosecution finishes presenting its evidence on the four articles of impeachment.
Aside from the trial schedule, the Senate is also preparing to tackle the unresolved issue of the voting threshold for an impeachment conviction.
Gatchalian said the senator-judges would first hear the views of legal experts and constitutionalists before making a determination.
The Senate is considering inviting three to five amici curiae, preferably former chief justices, former Supreme Court justices and recognized constitutional experts, to provide legal guidance to the impeachment court.
“Papakinggan natin sila. Isang araw tayo para pakinggan sila, maintindihan at ma-process yung kanilang mga sinasabi (,” Gatchalian said.
He said the Senate would consider the experts’ views before addressing the voting threshold, making it difficult to predict at this stage whether the issue could eventually reach the Supreme Court.
Gatchalian said it would be premature to preempt such a development because the impeachment court has yet to hear the invited experts and assess their legal arguments.
Photo courtesy of Manila Standard
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