Vice President Sara Duterte's defense said it deliberately limited its cross-examination of the prosecution's witnesses during the July 29 session as part of its legal strategy to avoid unnecessarily prolonging the Senate impeachment trial.

In a press briefing following the session, defense counsel Michael Poa explained that the defense would continue questioning witnesses only when necessary and would not raise issues that are not material to the charges against the Vice President.

"We're committed to not delaying the proceedings, and that's not just me but the entire defense team," he said Wednesday.

Poa said the defense saw no reason to cross-examine the prosecution's first witness, former Landbank Shaw Boulevard Branch Manager Violeta Constantino, because her testimony merely identified checks that the defense was not disputing.

He also said the defense chose not to challenge the opinion of the second witness, former Landbank DepEd Branch Manager Nenita Camposano, that certain cash withdrawals were "unusual" because the issue was not relevant to the allegations over the use of confidential funds.

Poa said dwelling further on the matter would have been "petty."

Poa also explained the defense's repeated objections during House prosecutor and Rep. Leila de Lima's opening statement, saying portions of it contained legal conclusions that should instead be proven through witness testimony and evidence.

De Lima and Poa briefly clashed after the prosecution's opening statement on Article I of the Articles of Impeachment, with the defense arguing that parts of the presentation contained conclusions of law.

Poa said he initially tried not to interrupt De Lima out of respect but decided to object because allowing such statements to remain on record could influence public perception before either side had presented evidence.

"Narinig na po ng ating mga kababayan at baka po ma-condition kasi ang minds ng mga kababayan natin (The people already heard it and they might be conditioned)," he said.

Looking ahead to the presentation of witnesses from the Commission on Audit (COA), Poa said the defense expects the proceedings to become more complex but still hopes to keep its cross-examination focused and efficient.

He said the defense would respond accordingly to the prosecution's presentation but would avoid unnecessarily dissecting official documents if doing so would not materially affect the case.