THE Senate Impeachment Court should consider extending hearing hours or adding trial days to expedite Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s impeachment trial, a spokesman for the House prosecution panel said over the weeekend.
Former Surigao del Norte Rep. and Gov. Ace Barbers, who is also an impeachment adviser, said the public is already growing impatient with the proceedings.
He pointed out that the impeachment lost trial days due to weather-related suspensions and witness availability.
“Kami rin, naiinip na. Kung maaari nga sanang mas damihan natin iyong number of trial hours and trial days, mas maganda,” Barbers said at the Saturday News Forum.
Barbers also acknowledged that senator-judges must divide their time between the trial and lawmaking.
He cited a proposal to conduct legislative work earlier and let the impeachment proceedings continue later into the day.
“Sa umaga na lang, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., iyong kanilang legislative work, and then 3 p.m. to sawa,” he said.
The former lawmaker said the length and the technicalities of the proceedings test the patience of regular followers.
“Naiinip ang taongbayan. Lalo na kapag pinag-uusapan ay technical, medyo legal o technical,” Barbers said. “Kahit nga minsan ang mga nakakaintindi, medyo hindi na rin nakakaya na sumubaybay sa tagal, sa haba.”
Barbers said the response should not be to abandon public discussion, but to make the information easier to follow without distorting what occurred in court.
“That is the reason why we would like to ask the media and also all the social-media bloggers, plus the spokespersons, to try their best na iksian at maging klaro ang paliwanag sa mga nangyayari sa loob,” he said.
He said the prosecution is finding ways to abbreviate the proceedings by considering dropping witnesses if the remaining testimony would merely duplicate proof already in the record.
The approach is consistent with Barbers’ earlier support for additional trial periods after weather cancellations interrupted the proceedings.
Despite the fatigue, Barbers asked Filipinos not to tune out.
“Iyong aking message, sana sumubaybay. Sumubaybayan dito ang ating mga kababayan,” he said.
metrosundaily
