The House prosecution panel has questioned the sudden change in position by Vice President Sara Duterte's defense team after they agreed to open the sealed box of documents from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for the upcoming impeachment trial.
Prosecution expresses concern over timing
House trial spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong said that while the move is a good step to move the case forward, it is puzzling why the defense agreed only now, after the pre-trial conference had already concluded. Previously, the Vice President's lawyers had strongly objected even to the simple marking of the box's exterior during the last hearing.
Adiong also expressed concern over the defense's request to conduct another separate executive session solely for the opening and marking of the BIR box. He warned that this could cause new delays in the issuance of the pre-trial order and the formal start of the trial.
Legal implications explained
Adiong explained that opening and marking the documents does not automatically mean they will be accepted as evidence, as the Senate impeachment court will still decide on their admissibility during the actual trial. The prosecution called on all parties to avoid further legal maneuvering and focus on presenting evidence and witnesses on July 6.
“If this was going to be the defense’s position all along, why wait until after the pre-trial conference to say so? If they were prepared to agree in principle to the opening of the BIR box, why oppose even the simple marking of the sealed box during the hearing?” Alonto Adiong said.
