House prosecutors may waive evidence on one impeachment article vs. Sara Duterte

The House prosecution panel on Thursday said it may waive the presentation of evidence on one of the four Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte if it determines that the evidence presented on the remaining articles is already sufficient to secure a conviction.

This came a day after it announced it was no longer presenting Atty Zuleika Lopez, chief of staff of the Office of the Vice President, and Capt Belinda Bello, executive director of the House of Representatives Legislative Security Bureau, as witnesses in the trial.

"Titingnan din po namin kung may article kami na sa tingin namin, pagkatapos namin iprisinta yung isa, dalawa o tatlong article, baka may isang article kami na hindi na namin kailangan iprisinta dahil solid na solid na ang mga ebidensiya doon pa lang sa dalawa o sa tatlong article," House mpeachment prosecutor Rep. Joel Chua said in a press conference today.

"So puwedeng hindi na rin po kami, puwedeng i-waive na namin yung isang article," Chua added.

The legislator from the third district of Manila was reacting to Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian's pronouncement that the trial may take 17 months.

"Alam po ninyo, yung 17 months na sinasabi nila, ito lamang po ang requested trial dates, both ng public at tsaka ng private. But it does not follow na ico-consume mo o uubusin mo lahat yon," Chua stated.

Chua said waiving the presentation of Lopez and Bello, and other witnesses, shortened the number of days that the Article of Impeachment on grave threats will be tried.

He stated that they may also decide to shorten the list of witnesses for the other articles.

"So ganoon din ang mangyayari sa mga susunod na mga article kung sa palagay namin matibay na matibay na ang aming ebidensya. So hindi na darating sa punto na sasayangin pa namin ang oras ng korte. At may mga pagkakataon din na may mga testigo kami na sa isang araw, baka dalawa ang maisalang namin," Chua said.

"So pagka ganon ang nangyari, iigsi na naman po ang trial date. At bukod pa sa kaninang binabanggit ni Atty. Kapunan, baka mamaya yung depensa hindi na magpresenta. So pag hindi na sila nagpresenta, so male-lessen na rin yung mga trial date. So lahat po yan pupuwede mangyari," he added.

When asked if the trial may drag on until the campaign period for the 2028 elections, Chua replied, "Baka September, October tapos na po tayo."

Counsel to the House prosecution panel, Lorna Kapunan, also clarified that the number of trial dates does not rely solely on the prosecution.

"Pag tinatanong yung trial dates tsaka yung haba ng trial dates, hindi lang prosecution. Nakita naman natin sa last two witnesses, ang nagpahaba po noon, cross examination. Kasi maikli, hindi naman masyadong kahabaan, yung direct examination ng prosecution. Ang nagpahaba po doon, yung cross examination, na hanggang sa typo errors binilang yata lahat. We commend the defense for being so diligent pero anong kinalaman naman ng typo errors dyan sa defense nila," Kapunan said in a press conference.

"So what I am saying is, it is not the prosecution that has full control. It will also depend on the cross examination questions of the defense and the clarificatory questions of the senator-judges including the Senate President and the presiding judge," Kapunan added. —LDF, GMA News