Win: Sara Duterte's impeachment trial verdict eyed before December

Senate President Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian and other senators are eyeing to wrap up Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial before December, hoping that a verdict would be reached before the year ends.

In an ambush interview at the Senate on Wednesday, Gatchalian said the prosecution's move to drop 15 witnesses has a big impact on the trial's timeline.

"Ang timetable na nakikita namin, hopefully, before December matapos na lahat," Gatchalian said, adding that, "Hopefully, ha? May verdict, may verdict, may verdict."

(The timetable that we see, hopefully before December, everything is finished... Hopefully, okay? That there would be a verdict, a verdict, a verdict.)

Gatchalian stressed that this still depends on the witnesses that the defense will present after the prosecution is finished tackling all four Articles of Impeachment.

However, Gatchalian said the defense has already lessened the number of witnesses they planned to present.

Meanwhile, Senate finance committee chair Senator JV Ejercito said he wanted to get the trial done as soon as possible to allow more time for the budget hearings.

"Sana mapabilis na ito para makabalik na tayo sa normal na pamumuhay. Kasi dami nating kailangan ayusin. Daming problema. Nakaka-apekto rin siyempre 'yung hidwaan sa politika sa overall, sa lahat ng takbo natin ng bansa," Ejercito said.

(I hope the trial progresses faster so we can get back to normal. Because we have so many things to fix. A lot of problems. The political divide is affecting the way that the country is being run.)

The prosecution panel dropped the 15 witnesses in Article 1 of the Articles of Impeachment, hoping to replace them with Duterte instead. Article 1 refers to the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

Senators have previously lamented the prolonged time that the impeachment trial was taking away from other legislative matters. — VDV, GMA News