The House prosecution panel has promised a deluge of evidence against Vice President Sara Duterte during the first week of her Senate impeachment trial, which begins at 2 p.m. on Monday, July 6.

Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua, one of the 11 solon-prosecutors tasked to gain a conviction of Duterte, showed great anticipation for the start of the proceedings even as the respondent's camp had done everything up to this point to avoid an actual trial.

“For months, the public has heard allegations, denials and political commentary. On July 6, the Filipino people will finally see the impeachment process do what it was designed to do—hear the preliminaries and evidence in the succeeding days,” Chua said on Sunday, July 5.

He says the impeachment trial is the venue where every allegation and every defense must ultimately stand or fall on the evidence. The first days of the trial will demonstrate the difference between political discourse and the constitutional process, he noted.

“Hindi ito paramihan ng tao. Hindi ito paramihan ng ingay. Ang mahalaga ay kung ano ang mapapatunayan sa pamamagitan ng records, mga dokumento at testimonya,” Chua said.

(This is not a numbers game. This is not about noise. What matters is what can be proven through records, documents, and testimonies.)

“Ang hinihiling lang namin ay mabigyan ng pagkakataon na mailatag nang maayos ang aming mga ebidensya. May karapatan ang depensa na sumagot at may karapatan ang taumbayan na malaman ang katotohanan,” the Manila solon further said.

(All we ask is to be given the chance to properly present our evidence. The defense has the right to respond, and the people have the right to know the truth,)

The House prosecution panel has consistently maintained that the Senate’s constitutional duty is to hear the evidence before rendering judgment. In comparison, Duterte’s defense team has repeatedly looked for ways to dismiss the case on technical grounds.

House impeachment adviser and prosecution panel spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers described the incoming week as "Linggo ng Ebidensya (Week of Evidence)", but insisted that none of their evidence was weak.

“Bukas, bayan ang makikinig. Hindi na chismis. Ebidensya na. Tungkulin namin na iharap ang ebidensya sa impeachment court,” Barbers, former overall chairman of the vaunted House quad-committee (quad-comm), said.

(Tomorrow, the nation will listen. It's no longer about rumors. It's about evidence. It's our duty to put the evidence forward before the impeachment court.)

“Our responsibility is straightforward: present the evidence, respect due process, and allow the impeachment court to perform its constitutional duty. At the end of the day, the evidence—not the noise—should guide the outcome,” he added.

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. These comprise the four articles of impeachment against her.

Another prosecution panel spokesperson in Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the House remains focused on fulfilling its constitutional duty and is ready to present its case in an orderly and professional manner.

“Ang aming paghahanda ay nakatuon sa ebidensya, sa mga testigo at sa proseso. Ang impeachment court ang tamang lugar para dinggin ang mga usaping ito, at handa kaming gampanan ang aming tungkulin sa ilalim ng Saligang Batas," Adiong said.

(Our preparation is focused on the evidence, the witnesses, and the process. The Impeachment Court is the proper venue to hear these matters, and we are ready to fulfill our duty under the Constitution.)

He also reminded the public that the witness stand is a venue for sworn testimony, not political rhetoric. “Sa July 6, magsisimula nang makita ang opisyal na records at sa mga susunod na araw mga testigo, at proseso ang dapat magsalita."

(On July 6, the official records will begin to be seen, and in the following days it is the witnesses and the process that must speak.)

The prosecution’s presentation is expected on July 7 and July 8 with the first witnesses for Article IV, which accuses Duterte of committing a culpable violation of the Constitution by making grave threats against President Marcos and other members of the First Family.

The prosecution panel has submitted its initial list of witnesses for the first three hearing days.

Among those scheduled to testify are National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Bangsamoro Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc, NBI Cyber Investigation and Assessment Center Senior Agent John Mark Calilung, and Legislative Security Bureau Executive Director Captain Belinda Bello.

The prosecution claimed that the statement constituted a grave threat against the country’s top officials and forms one of the grounds for her impeachment.

Prosecutors are expected to use the testimony of the initial witnesses to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged threats and authenticate official records and other documentary evidence supporting the charge.

“The Filipino people should expect the Senate impeachment court to first establish the legal framework that will govern the entire trial. That is how any orderly judicial proceeding begins,” Barbers said.

He said the first day will include the opening of the session, the entry of appearance of counsel, the respondent’s plea, opening statements from both sides, and the resolution of preliminary legal issues before the court proceeds to the presentation of evidence.

At any rate, Adiong says the prosecutors are "100 percent ready".

“We are 100 percent ready. Our prosecutors, our legal team, and everyone supporting the prosecution have worked tirelessly to prepare for this constitutional duty. We are ready to present our case before the Senate impeachment court,” he said.