The prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial said the first day of pre-trial proceedings was “successful” despite reported heated exchanges with the defense, stressing that early disagreements are part of normal court procedure.
Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, speaking at a briefing Thursday, said the initial confrontation between both camps was expected as they begin narrowing issues ahead of the trial proper.
“What I want to emphasize, what happened today was successful because the processes leading up to the trial proper started,” Co said, noting that it was the first formal meeting between the opposing legal teams.
She added that tensions are typical in adversarial proceedings, particularly at the pre-trial stage where parties attempt to define stipulations, admissions, and disputed issues.
The first pre-trial conference was conducted earlier under the Senate Impeachment Court, presided over administratively by Senate Secretary Renato Bantug acting as clerk of court.
Despite reported friction, Adiong said the session remained productive, citing deadlines set by the court for both sides to submit their comments on proposed stipulations by June 22, with resolution expected by June 25.
He said the structured timeline reflects progress in organizing the issues that will be tackled in the trial proper.
“Well that usually happens during the pre-trial conference,” Adiong said, adding that disagreements are expected as both panels work to clarify which facts are admitted and which will be contested.
The Senate impeachment court earlier said the pre-trial is intended to streamline proceedings by tackling stipulations of facts, identification of witnesses, marking of evidence, scheduling of hearings, and other procedural matters, and is not open to the public.
Defense team spokesperson Michael Poa earlier also acknowledged discussions between the two sides but dismissed reports of heightened tension, saying disputes were resolved during the session.
According to observers, the exchange largely focused on technical issues common in pre-trial proceedings.
Under the defense’s pre-trial brief submitted on June 9, Duterte’s legal team listed more than 40 potential witnesses, including former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and former aide Ramil Madriaga, along with several former cabinet officials and heads of government agencies.
The defense also alleged that the House of Representatives failed to provide key documents during earlier hearings, arguing that materials not included in the original complaints should be excluded from evidence.
The impeachment court is expected to proceed with further pre-trial discussions as both sides refine their lists of evidence, witnesses, and contested issues ahead of the trial proper.
