Sherwin Gatchalian orders parties to submit list of evidence, witnesses in Sara Duterte impeachment trial

The Senate impeachment court under Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian has ordered the prosecution and the defense to submit their list of witnesses and evidence for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte by June 18.

This was according to an order issued by the Senate impeachment court on Tuesday, June 9.

“Please take notice that the pre-trial conference for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte is hereby scheduled to take place at 9:00 a.m. on June 18, 2026, Thursday, at the Senator Claro M. Recto Room, 2nd floor, Senate of the Philippines, Diokno Blvd., Pasay City before the Secretary of the Senate as the Clerk of the Impeachment Court,” the notice said.

“The parties will be notified of subsequent dates for the continuation of the pre-trial conference, if any,” the notice added.

Photo from House impeachment prosecutor Rep. Terry Ridon

Aside from the submission of the list of witnesses and evidence, the Senate impeachment court ordered both parties to accomplish the following during the pre-trial conference period:

• Stipulation or agree on certain facts and simplification of issues
• Marking of documentary or real evidence and waiver of objections or
• Admissions on evidence
• Setting of trial dates
• Resolve the sequence for the presentation of evidence, and
• Possible modification of the order of trial, among other steps that will “promote a fair and expeditious trial of the case.”

“To allow the parties and/or their counsel the widest freedom and latitude towards attaining the objectives of pre-trial, the pre-trial Conference proceedings will not be open to the media or public,” the notice added. — With reports from Tina Panganiban-Perez/JMA, GMA News