THE Senate impeachment court has formally scheduled the pre-trial conference in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte, marking the next major step in the proceedings and setting the stage for the presentation of evidence and witnesses by both parties, House prosecutor Terry L. Ridon of Bicol Saro Party-list said Tuesday.
In a Notice of Pre-Trial Conference issued on June 9 and signed by Acting Senate President and Presiding Officer Win Gatchalian, Ridon said the impeachment court directed Vice President Duterte and the House public prosecutors to appear on June 18, 2026 at 9 a.m. at the Sen. C.M. Recto Room in the Senate.
Ridon said the notice stated that the parties may attend personally or through counsel and are expected to address key pre-trial matters, including the stipulation of facts, simplification of issues, marking of documentary and real evidence, identification of witnesses, setting of trial dates, and the proposed sequence for the presentation of evidence, and such other matters that will promote a fair and expeditious trial of the case.
He said the impeachment court also directed both parties to submit their respective pre-trial briefs no later than June 15.
According to the notice, Ridon said the pre-trial brief must contain “a summary of admitted facts, proposed stipulations, and issues for resolution,” as well as a list of documents, exhibits, and witnesses presently known and reasonably available to each party.
Ridon said the notice likewise requires parties seeking to reserve evidence or witnesses to disclose the identity of witnesses or describe the documentary or object evidence and state the purpose of their presentation at least three days before they are presented before the impeachment court.
For security and safety reasons, Ridon said the impeachment court said parties may withhold the identities and details of certain witnesses until their actual presentation, provided such witnesses are included in the total number of witnesses disclosed and corresponding trial dates.
To encourage candid discussions and facilitate the objectives of pre-trial, he said the proceedings will not be open to the media or the public.
“The Pre-Trial Conference proceedings shall not be open to the media or public,” the notice stated.
Ridon said the impeachment court also warned that failure to file a pre-trial brief on time or failure to appear at the pre-trial conference without a valid and legally justifiable reason could result in the waiver of the right to present specific evidence or witnesses.
He added that the impeachment court may proceed with the formulation of the pre-trial order based solely on the records available if a party fails to comply with the requirements.
Ridon said the June 18 conference is expected to lay down the framework for the impeachment trial by identifying areas of agreement and dispute, organizing evidence, and establishing the timetable for the proceedings.
