The Senate impeachment court could save around 20 hearing days following the withdrawal of three charges against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Impeachment court spokesperson lawyer Reginald Tongol on Wednesday said the shorter proceedings could significantly reduce the time needed by Duterte’s lawyers, who had originally requested 30 trial days to present their witnesses.
In a televised interview, Tongol said the court expects to avoid spending additional hearing days on withdrawn charges, allowing senator-judges to concentrate on the remaining Article II involving allegations of unexplained wealth.
However, he clarified that the projected November completion, earlier mentioned by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, is not a fixed deadline.
“It’s still a moving target,” Tongol said, explaining that the court’s timetable depends largely on the number of witnesses the defense eventually presents.
He said Duterte’s lawyers have around 90 witnesses on their list, but the proceedings could end earlier if they decide to dispense with some testimonies.
Conversely, presenting the entire roster could require additional hearing days beyond November.
“Hindi siya yung parang nakapako sa bato na may time frame o may date of verdict (It is not set in stone with a fixed time frame or verdict date),” he said.
Tongol explained that the earlier projection of a Nov. 16 completion was merely an administrative calculation based on the pretrial order and the prosecution’s planned presentation, rather than a deadline imposed on the defense.
To maximize the remaining trial days, the court has scheduled extended hearings beginning Nov. 9, with several whole-day sessions counted as equivalent to two regular hearing days.
Tongol estimated that the November schedule could effectively cover 10 to 12 hearing days despite the limited number of actual session dates.
However, the proceedings will not be continuous because of Senate plenary sessions, budget deliberations and the ASEAN Summit scheduled for Nov. 16 to 18.
The impeachment court is scheduled to resume hearings on Nov. 19 and 20, while its Nov. 23 session will run only from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tongol said the presiding officer has yet to finalize the December hearing calendar, which will be determined when the Senate resumes its sessions on Nov. 9.
He maintained that the shortened proceedings are intended to conserve public resources without sacrificing either party’s opportunity to present its case.
The withdrawal of the three articles, he said, would eliminate the need for additional testimonies on allegations that are no longer being pursued.
Tongol added that the court must balance the timely resolution of the impeachment case with its constitutional responsibility to evaluate the evidence and ensure fairness to both sides.
He said an earlier conclusion would also allow the Senate and the country to devote greater attention to other legislative priorities and nation-building efforts. (PNA)