Impeachment trial seen finished before Christmas break

MANILA, Philippines — The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte could be over before Congress goes on Christmas break, considering the timeline of the defense to present its evidence.

This was House prosecution panel adviser Robert Ace Barbers’ estimation, noting that the defense is asking only for eight trial days to refute allegations of unexplained wealth and a total of 30 days for the entire duration of their turn.  

“Following that (timeline) of only eight trial days, then impeachment trial can possibly be over in two weeks’ time,” he said, pointing out that before trial adjourned for the Halloween recess, the Senate impeachment court has been conducting whole-day hearings from Monday through Friday.

“Because if it will only be eight days, remember during our previous Mondays to Fridays hearings, it was not like the first from 10 a.m.,” the former Surigao del Norte congressman said.

“So, what will happen here is that if it can be done, they have the option to exhaust probably all the 30 days that they have asked just to be able to present their evidence,” Barbers noted.

Before trial adjourned, the prosecution dropped the three Articles of Impeachment on grave threats, confidential fund misuse and bribery, and decided to focus instead on the more heavy charges of unexplained wealth.

In approving the dropping of the three articles, impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero said the defense no longer needed to present evidence on the withdrawn charges.

Based on the November trial schedule Escudero announced last Oct. 13, the impeachment court would conduct hearings from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 9, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 10, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 11, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, 13, 19 and 20, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 23.

There will be no trial on Nov. 30 due to the Bonifacio Day holiday.