Senators Eye Tighter Rules To Speed Up Impeach Trial

With the aim of speeding up the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, senators of the impeachment court are looking to tighten proceedings by limiting arguments to issues directly related to the case and resolving pending procedural questions early, Sen. Erwin Tulfo said on Sunday, July 19.

Tulfo said most senators are also amenable to starting impeachment hearings earlier, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with proceedings extendable until 3 p.m., before the Senate convenes in regular session at 4 p.m.

He said presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero is expected to exercise tighter control over motions and manifestations after the first two weeks of trial were slowed by discussions that went beyond the articles of impeachment.

“The presentation of evidence will now be more selective, and the presiding officer will control motions and manifestations so they remain focused on the case,” Tulfo told radio dzBB.

Tulfo noted that the impeachment court has heard only two prosecution witnesses since the trial opened, but expressed confidence the proceedings would accelerate after President Marcos’ State of the Nation Address.

He said Escudero had cited the 2012 impeachment trial of former chief justice Renato Corona, wherein proceedings also moved slowly during the first two weeks before gaining momentum.

Tulfo also urged the impeachment court to settle pending procedural issues, including proposals to subpoena the bank and tax records of Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio before the trial proceeds further.

Both the prosecution and defense would be allowed to present their arguments, with the senators ultimately deciding the issue if the parties fail to reach an agreement.

“We just want to get these issues out of the way. If they are discussed only during the trial, the proceedings will take even longer. That would be unfair to the Vice President,” Tulfo said.

He stressed that the impeachment court was created solely to hear the case against Duterte and should remain focused on determining whether the charges have been proven.

‘Release bank, tax records’

If the Vice President and her husband have nothing to hide, they should release their bank and tax records as it is their “best defense” against allegations of unexplained wealth, House prosecutor and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said on Sunday.

Ridon said this is “so that they can put to shame all those who maintain the position that they have acquired ill-gotten wealth. For them to really prove that there is no substance in having all these charges to begin with, then let’s open all these financial record.”

The House prosecution team has a pending request in the Senate impeachment court for the subpoena of Duterte’s financial records that cover bank accounts identified by their numbers, branches and institutions, certified Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) documents and Anti-Money Laundering Council reports.

Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan likewise questioned why the defense is blocking the release of Duterte’s financial documents.

“The VP said the prosecution is just all noise, no evidence. And yet now that we are presenting evidence, who is blocking the evidence? Who is blocking the presentation of the bank records? Who is blocking the presentation of the BIR records? Who is blocking all relevant evidence?” she asked.

Meanwhile, Kingdom Keepers, a coalition of Catholic, evangelical and mainline Protestant groups and individuals, on Sunday urged the Senate to subpoena Duterte’s and her husband’s financial and tax records, as well the AMLC documents tied to the couple.

“The Vice President is an elected public official who has sworn to uphold the laws of the land and the rights and welfare of the Filipino people,” Kingdom Keepers convenors Fr. Robert Reyes and lay worker Melba Padilla Maggay said.

“Her salary comes from hard-earned money taken from people like us in the form of taxes. She is therefore accountable to us. She must prove beyond reasonable doubt that she has faithfully served us as Vice President and has refrained from using her office to accumulate ill-gotten wealth. She cannot hide behind the skirt of privacy and confidentiality,” the coalition added. — With Delon Porcalla, Evelyn Macairan