House files pretrial brief in VP Duterte impeachment

The impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte is moving forward, with a key pretrial conference scheduled for Thursday, June 18. The proceedings follow her impeachment by the House of Representatives in May on allegations including misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and a threatening remark directed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

On Monday, June 15, the House prosecution panel formally submitted its pretrial brief to the Senate, which serves as the impeachment court. The 57-page document outlines the prosecution's case, including proposed stipulations of fact and a list of documentary evidence. Lead prosecutor and Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro stated the prosecution plans to call more than 30 witnesses to testify. She emphasized there would be no surprise witnesses, as the impeachment court rules generally require witnesses to be identified during pretrial proceedings before they can testify.

However, prosecution team member San Juan Representative Ysabel Maria Zamora clarified that the rules allow for the identities of some witnesses to be withheld for security reasons, provided their positions and the purpose of their...