The sixth day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial focuses on oral arguments on whether the Senate impeachment court should issue subpoenas for Duterte’s financial documents. Proceedings on Wednesday center on a request involving Duterte’s bank records, tax returns, and records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council in relation to Article II of the impeachment complaint. The complaint alleges unexplained wealth and undeclared assets.
No witnesses are scheduled to testify on the day. Instead, both the prosecution and the defense present arguments: each side is given a set period to make its case, followed by rebuttal time. Senators serving as the impeachment court preside over the exchange.
Senator and presiding officer Francis Escudero says senator-judges reach an agreement in caucus to decide the subpoena-related issue on Monday, July 20. The prosecution argues for the issuance of subpoenas, while the defense opposes. The trial thus advances through procedural arguments regarding the scope and availability of financial and AML-related evidence, pending the court’s decision.
