The Senate held the first day of the pre-trial conference for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment on June 18. Prosecutors and defense lawyers marked evidence for two of the four articles without incident. The trial is scheduled to start on July 6.
The pre-trial conference took place at the Senate on Thursday, June 18. House prosecutors and Duterte’s legal team discussed evidence, witnesses, and stipulations of facts.
They completed the marking of documents for Article III on direct bribery and Article IV on grave threats. The pre-trial will resume on Monday, June 22, to finish the remaining items.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said he would preside over the trial for now. No final decision has been made on whether Sen. Francis Escudero will take the role.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada remains barred from participating as a senator-judge due to his preventive suspension. Duterte faces four articles of impeachment covering confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and threats.
