VP Sara impeach trial could last 7 months

MANILA, Philippines, July 5 ------ The upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte could last seven months, based on the proposed trial days of both prosecution and defense panels, Senate Secretary Renato Bantug said, making it the longest impeachment trial ever.

Speaking to radio dwIZ yesterday, Bantug said this was his assessment based on the request of 62 trial days by the prosecution and 30 trial days by the defense. For a total of 92 trial days held only three times a week, this would make the whole proceedings run at least seven months.

But the timeline could be shortened if multiple witnesses are presented per day. “If we are indeed reaching 92 trial days, that will be the longest impeachment trial so far,” Bantug said. For comparison, the 2012 impeachment trial of the late chief justice Renato Corona ran 44 days. Meanwhile, the trial of deposed president Joseph Estrada lasted 23 days because it was aborted by the prosecution’s walkout over the refusal of the Senate impeachment court to open the controversial “second envelope,” which triggered the second EDSA people power uprising that ousted Estrada in 2001.

The Senate impeachment court is scheduled to open the trial on July 6. With a months-long trial before it, the challenge now lies with how the Senate would juggle its function as impeachment court and its regular legislative role of passing laws and tackling the national budget.

Already, Senate finance committee chair JV Ejercito yesterday said he hopes the trial would not affect the Senate’s deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget. Following the Department of Budget and Management’s announcement that the government is seeking a P7.2-trillion budget next year, Ejercito said in a dwIZ interview that the finance committee under him has its work cut out for it.

Another logistical challenge is how to manage the crowd of people when the impeachment trial coincides with the usual Senate committee hearings. “That is a big challenge we need to face, and I think we can and will do it,” Bantug said. Upon instructions of Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, Bantug said his office would work over the weekend to finish drafting the pre-trial order that would summarize the five-day pre-trial conference proceedings that ended last Thursday.

The order would be released to both parties tomorrow for their comment, subject to revision based on the feedback.

Source: philstar.com