Duterte defense team seeks rejection of prosecution evidence in impeachment trial

MANILA – The defense team for Vice President Sara Duterte has mounted a legal challenge to the prosecution's case, filing a 26-page motion on October 30 asking the Senate impeachment court to disallow key documentary evidence. Duterte's lawyers contend that the prosecution's evidentiary offering is inadmissible under court rules and fails to establish the elements necessary to sustain the alleged impeachable offenses against the Vice President.

The motion represents a significant procedural move in the ongoing impeachment trial, as defense counsel seeks to narrow the scope of evidence available to prosecutors. The legal team argued that the submitted records are irrelevant to the central allegations and insufficient to meet the threshold required for impeachment proceedings.

The filing comes as the Senate continues its deliberation on the charges against Duterte. The outcome of the court's decision on admissibility of evidence could substantially shape the trajectory of the trial and the prosecution's ability to build its case against the Vice President.

The impeachment process has drawn significant public attention as the Senate weighs the merits of the allegations. Both the prosecution and defense have indicated they will pursue all available legal avenues during the proceedings.