Politics · Philippines Bureau
Duterte impeachment trial adjourns as defense abandons bank witnesses
The Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte entered its 43rd day on Tuesday with the defense dropping all scheduled bank witnesses. The court has adjourned proceedings until after the ASEAN Summit.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte saw significant developments on Tuesday as lead defense counsel Sheila Sison requested the cancellation of Friday's scheduled session, which Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero approved.
The defense team announced it would abandon all originally scheduled bank witnesses from its witness roster. This strategic shift marks a notable turn in the proceedings, which have now extended to 43 days of hearings.
The Senate has agreed to pause proceedings to accommodate the upcoming ASEAN Summit, with no immediate date set for resumption of trial sessions. The decision to remove the bank witnesses from the defense presentation suggests a recalibration of the legal strategy employed by Duterte's legal team.
The trial has faced multiple procedural adjustments since its commencement, with both prosecution and defense teams regularly modifying their witness schedules and presentation plans. The adjournment comes as the trial continues to draw significant public attention in the Philippines.