The Senate, acting as the impeachment court, receives the House prosecution team’s pre-trial brief in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte. The House filing summarizes the evidence it plans to present, lists proposed witnesses, and includes proposed modifications to how the trial should proceed. The House prosecution team also submits documentary evidence alongside the brief and indicates it expects to present more than 30 witnesses.
The Senate pre-trial conference is scheduled to begin on June 18 and runs through June 25, during which both the prosecution and the defense are expected to identify the witnesses and evidence they will use and other matters that will govern the trial. After the pre-trial phase, the impeachment trial is scheduled to start on July 6.
As of the reports, Duterte’s camp has not yet filed its counterpart pre-trial brief or response, which would set out its own evidence and witness list for the Senate to consider during the scheduled pre-trial period.
