MANILA, Philippines – Inaprubahan ng Impeachment Court ang limang manipestasyon sa plenaryo sa paglilitis kay Vice President Sara Duterte kabilang ang pagbabalik ng sinasabing “BIR Green Box” na naglalaman ng taxc records ng naturang opisyal kabilang ang apat na rulings.
Sa briefing ni Atty. Reggie Tongol, itinalagang spokesman ng impeachment court, na bago simulan ang proseso ng presentasyon ng ebidensiya, naresolbahan ang ilang nakabinbin na pre-trial matters na nagtakda ng malinaw na ground rules.
“The Court issued balanced rulings on procedural and evidentiary issues, granting and denying specific requests from both the Prosecution and the Defense based on the Rules of Court and prevailing jurisprudence,” ayon kay Tongol.
Aniya, kabilang sa rulings ng Impeachment Court ang mga sumusunod:
1. Witness Disclosure Rule. The Court GRANTED the Prosecution’s proposal for a three-day witness disclosure but adopted the Defense’s timeline for witness disclosures of 5 days for any witness whose testimony is being offered and who was not already listed in the parties’ pre-trial briefs. Every Wednesday or last trial date, the parties will be requested to list the names of witnesses to be presented for each day the following week.
2. Participation in Witness Examination. On the Prosecution’s request to allow multiple lawyers to examine a single witness, the Court DENIED the Prosecution’s request and reaffirmed the strict “one counsel, one witness” rule under the Senate Impeachment Rules. However, the Court partially granted the request by allowing a maximum of two lawyers to examine a witness only in highly exceptional instances to prevent redundant questioning, explicitly specifying that this exception applies equally to both the Prosecution and the Defense.
3. The BIR Box. The Court DENIED the Prosecution’s request to open and mark the contents of a sealed box of tax documents transmitted by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) was denied. Applying the Supreme Court ruling in Land Bank vs. Pagayatan,[1] the Court stated that it cannot take legal custody of items not officially deposited through proper judicial processes. The Court ordered the immediate return of the box to the BIR.
4. Issuance of Subpoenas. The Prosecution secured approvals for several compulsory processes, subject to specific boundaries set by the Court to satisfy the legal test of definiteness and relevancy:
– NBI: The Court GRANTED the issuance of subpoenas ad testificandum compelling two active National Bureau of Investigation agents to testify.
– AMLC and Bank Records: The Court was already ready to issue the subpoena but the Panel of Prosecutors amended their request so the issuance of the subpoena was deferred. Upon agreement of the parties, the Court ordered that all request for Subpoena be given the other party so they can file their comment or opposition to which oral arguments will be scheduled.
5. Pre-Trial Order and Evidentiary Objections. Addressing the Respondent’s comments on the Pre-Trial Order, the Court finalized the Order and GRANTED the Prosecution’s proposed sequence of evidence presentation. The Presiding Officer clarified that the Pre-Trial Order’s simplification of ultimate issues does not preclude the Defense from discussing its affirmative defenses or raising evidentiary objections during the trial proper when the relevant questions become ripe for resolution.
Inihayag din ni Tongol na inatasan ng impeachment court ang Clerk of Court na lumikha ng isang dedicated portal sa Senate website upang ilagay ang lahat ng dokumento at proseso ng paglilitis kabilang ang lahat ng manipestasyon ng magkabilang panig.
“To ensure public transparency, the Court directed the Clerk of Court to create a dedicated portal on the Senate website where pleadings, issuances, and electronic records of the impeachment proceedings will be made readily accessible to the public,” ayon kay Tongol.
“The trial was adjourned and will resume tomorrow, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at 2:00 p.m,” dagdag ng spokesperson. Ernie Reyes
