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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'May witness agad': House prosecution to hit the ground running in VP Sara trial

'May witness agad': House prosecution to hit the ground running in VP Sara trial

Published Jun 27, 2026 11:07 am  |  Updated Jun 27, 2026 02:44 pm

At A Glance

  • Prosecution spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa Jr. says the first witness will be presented on July 6, with hearings initially set Mondays to Wednesdays until President Marcos's SONA on July 27.
  • The panel requested 62 trial days and listed 57 witnesses, and cited thousands of records tied to confidential funds.
  • Tolosa notes the trial could last at least three months but may move faster.
(Senate Facebook)
(Senate Facebook)


The House prosecution panel intends to hit the ground running during Vice President Sara Duterte’s Senate impeachment trial by presenting its first witness on the first day of the proceedings.
Thus, said prosecution spokesperson lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr., who otherwise didn't give away too must about their strategy.
“The first day of hearing for the presentation of our first witness is scheduled on July 6,” Tolosa said in a virtual press conference Friday, June 26.
However, Tolosa, who also serves as a private prosecutor, didn't reveal who their first salvo is on the witness stand.
He said the presentation of witnesses and documentary evidence will initially be held every Monday to Wednesday, until the President !Marcos State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27. The SONA signals the opening of the second regular session, wherein the House members and senators would buckle down for legislative work.
After the SONA, the trial schedule will shift to Tuesday through Thursday each week, he added.
The prosecution asked for 62 trial days to present its case during the pre-trial proceedings, while the defense requested 30 days.
Tolosa says this sets up a trial that would last "at least three months...could be more".
The lawyer stressed, however, that the proposed timetable is only an estimate and that the trial could move faster depending on how the presentation of evidence proceeds.
“It would still depend on several circumstances, for example, kung possible (if possible) we could present more than one witness per day. So pwede ho mapabilis (So it could be hastened),” Tolosa said.
The House prosecution panel has previously clarified that its request for 62 presentation days represents the maximum time it may need to present its evidence rather than the actual time it expects to consume.
Prosecutors have said the request was based on the volume of documentary evidence, particularly thousands of records related to the Vice President’s confidential funds.
The prosecution has also previously disclosed that it intends to present 57 witnesses during the trial.
According to the panel, the number was finalized during pre-trial to ensure that all potential witnesses are identified in compliance with the Senate impeachment rules, which generally bar the presentation of witnesses not listed before trial.
Vice President Duterte's conviction via impeachment trial is being sought over her offices' alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds; untruthful declarations in the filing of her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth; unexplained wealth; and death threats to President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez.

Related Tags

witness prosecution IMPEACHMENT Sara Duterte Benjamin Tolosa
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