The impeachment court kept the prosecution-first format after Duterte’s defense rejected an article-by-article presentation.
The Senate impeachment court considered changing the order in which the prosecution and defense present evidence in Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial.
Under the proposal, the prosecution would present one impeachment article, followed immediately by the defense’s answer to that same article. The court would repeat the process for the remaining charges.
House prosecutors agreed. Duterte’s defense did not, arguing that the trial should follow the order already approved before the presentation of witnesses began.
The impeachment court kept the original arrangement on July 29. Prosecutors moved from Article IV, which covers Duterte’s alleged threats, to Article I, which covers the alleged misuse of confidential funds.
The proposal is no longer being followed, but the debate raised several questions. Could the court change the order? Would that make the trial shorter? Could senator-judges vote after finishing only one article?
Here are five things to know.
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