HOUSE impeachment prosecutor and Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua on Saturday declared that “the long wait is over” as the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte begins on Monday, saying the prosecution panel is ready to finally present its case before the Filipino people.
“The long wait is over. Sa Lunes ay inaasahan po nating magsisimula na ang trial na matagal nang inaantay ng ating mga kababayan,” Chua said during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
The trial is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on July 6 before the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.
Chua said the proceedings are expected to open with opening statements from the prosecution and the defense, after which the Senate impeachment court may rule on four pending motions filed by the House prosecution panel.
Among these are motions seeking to allow the use of both Filipino and English during the trial to make the proceedings more accessible to the public, require both parties to notify each other of witnesses at least three days before they testify, permit both public and private prosecutors to examine witnesses, and resolve the issue of the sealed Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) box.
“So, meron po tayong apat na motions na nakahain na inaasahan po natin sa Lunes ay mareresolba na,” Chua said.
The House prosecution has argued that using Filipino alongside English would help more Filipinos understand the impeachment proceedings, while allowing both public and private prosecutors to examine witnesses would enable the panel to present its case more effectively.
The prosecution is also asking the impeachment court to rule on the opening of the sealed BIR box, which remained unopened during pre-trial proceedings after Senate officials said only the impeachment court—not the clerk of court—has the authority to decide the matter.
The sealed BIR box contains income tax returns and related tax records obtained by the House Committee on Justice through a subpoena issued during its impeachment inquiry.
Prosecutors have said the documents are relevant to the allegations of unexplained wealth against Duterte under the Articles of Impeachment and are seeking to have the box opened and its contents marked as evidence during the trial.
The impeachment trial follows days of pre-trial proceedings during which prosecutors and defense lawyers marked documentary evidence and addressed procedural issues ahead of the formal presentation of evidence.
Vice President Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in May and is facing trial over allegations that include the misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery involving Department of Education personnel, and threats against the country’s top officials.
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