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MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Monday raised concerns that her defense lawyers’ moves to examine evidence were slowing the proceedings, while warning that Duterte’s public attacks on the prosecution and the impeachment process could prejudice the case and potentially run afoul of the sub judice rule.
Private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said the actions of Duterte’s lawyers, whether deliberate or not, would cause delays, citing the defense’s decision to schedule the cross-checking of thousands of acknowledgment receipts (ARs) only on Aug. 14 despite an earlier directive from the Senate impeachment court to have it done last week.
The issue surfaced as the Senate canceled Monday’s trial because of heavy monsoon rains. The hearing, the 14th day of the trial, would resume on Tuesday, with the prosecution set to present Commission on Audit (COA) Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office auditor Xylene Mae del Campo as its fourth witness for Article 1, alleging the misuse of P612.5-million confidential funds in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd) in 2022 and 2023.
