Impeachment conference disputes witness list, BIR box

The prosecution and defense teams in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte are preparing for a pivotal pretrial conference, with disputes emerging over key evidence and witness lists ahead of the scheduled start of the full trial on July 6. On Thursday, defense lawyer Michael Poa stated it was the prosecution's prerogative to call Mary Grace Piattos, a name found on acknowledgment receipts for confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President, as a witness. The Philippine Statistics Authority has confirmed no such person exists in its records.

Prosecutors have listed Piattos among 57 witnesses. Solon-prosecutor Joel Chua explained the inclusion is a material move to determine if the individual is real, as the name appears to be an amalgamation of a popular café and a potato chips brand. Chua stated that if Piattos does not appear, it would indicate the name is bogus, and he challenged the defense to produce the individual if they claim the name is a code name. Poa responded that the defense is prepared to cross-examine any witness presented by the prosecution, noting Piattos is not on their own witness list.

Meanwhile, the defense has submitted a pretrial...