Photo courtesy of Ping Lacson/Facebook.
Senator Panfilo Lacson pushed for measures to speed up the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the proceedings should move efficiently while allowing both sides to present their evidence.
Lacson said Duterte, like any respondent in a legal case, was entitled to a speedy trial. He said the Senate impeachment court should find ways to avoid delays without affecting the fairness of the proceedings.
The senator proposed keeping witnesses scheduled for the week at the Senate premises during trial days so they could immediately take the stand once called. He said this would prevent hearings from ending early due to witness availability issues.
Lacson said impeachment court presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero was open to the suggestion, which aimed to make better use of the court’s scheduled hearing days.
He warned that a slower pace could prolong the trial, noting that the impeachment court had set aside 92 trial days to hear the four Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.
The schedule includes allegations involving an alleged assassination plot, misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth and false Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth, as well as alleged bribery and corruption.
The prosecution had rescheduled the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation Regional Director Jeremy Lontoc to July 13 from July 8. Lontoc was among the witnesses subpoenaed by the impeachment court.
NBI Senior Agent John Mark Calilung earlier testified as the prosecution’s first witness to present video evidence related to Duterte’s alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. His testimony led to lengthy discussions and objections during the proceedings.
