Impeachment pretrial for VP Duterte set June 18

The pretrial conference for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will be held on June 18, as the Senate moves forward with proceedings despite the Vice President's legal team seeking dismissal on procedural grounds. Acting Senate President Win Gatchalian issued a notice on Tuesday, June 9, directing Duterte and the House prosecution panel to appear at 9 a.m. in the Senate's Recto Room in Pasay City.

The pretrial conference will address the stipulation of facts, simplification of issues, marking of evidence, identification of witnesses, and setting of trial dates. The proceedings will not be open to the media or public. Both sides must submit pretrial briefs by June 15, containing summaries of admitted facts, lists of evidence, and witness lists. For reasons of safety and security, parties may reserve disclosure of certain witness names until presentation before the court.

This step follows the prosecution's decision not to file a formal rebuttal to Duterte's answer to the impeachment articles. In a five-page manifestation submitted on Monday, June 8, the House panel argued that Duterte's June 1 response failed to provide a material factual defense. Prosecutors...