Politics · Philippines Bureau
Prosecution seeks witness order change in Duterte impeachment trial
The prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial has requested the Senate impeachment court allow a forensic financial analyst to testify first, rather than a Bureau of Internal Revenue representative, citing the unavailability of the assigned prosecutor.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — Prosecutors handling the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte have petitioned the Senate impeachment court to alter the sequence of witness presentations during the ongoing trial.
The prosecution team asked permission to call a forensic financial analyst as their first witness instead of proceeding with a scheduled Bureau of Internal Revenue official. The request stems from health issues affecting the prosecutor assigned to handle the BIR representative's testimony.
The defense panel objected to the proposed change in witness order, according to court records from the trial proceedings. The dispute centers on the logistics of the prosecution's case presentation strategy.
The Senate impeachment court is currently presiding over the trial against the Vice President. The specific grounds for the impeachment charges and the nature of the forensic analysis remain central to the proceedings.
No immediate ruling on the prosecution's request was reported at the close of the court session.