MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Impeachment Court’s decision to close the June 18 pre-trial conference in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte to the public and media follows standard court practice, lead House prosecutor Gerville Luistro said on Wednesday.
Speaking in an interview, Luistro said pre-trial conferences in regular court proceedings are typically attended only by the parties involved because they often involve lengthy discussions on procedural matters, including the marking of evidence and identification of witnesses.
She said the exclusion of the media and the public from pre-trial proceedings is common practice. Luistro added that any agreements reached during the conference would later be presented in open court during the trial.
Luistro, who heads the House prosecution panel, said the prosecution would seek clarification through House and Senate counterparts on whether media access would be completely restricted during the proceedings.
The Senate Impeachment Court scheduled the pre-trial conference for June 18. According to the notice issued by Acting Senate President and presiding officer Sherwin Gatchalian, the proceedings will not be open to the public or the media to allow both parties and their counsel greater flexibility in addressing pre-trial matters.
The conference will address the stipulation of facts, simplification of issues, marking and admission of evidence, identification of witnesses, scheduling of trial dates, and other matters intended to facilitate the conduct of the trial.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on May 11 after 257 lawmakers voted to adopt the Articles of Impeachment. The charges consolidated in the impeachment complaint include allegations involving the use of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, alleged bribery involving officials of the Department of Education, and alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Duterte has denied wrongdoing and has sought the dismissal of the impeachment complaint on constitutional, procedural, and substantive grounds. The Senate is expected to proceed with pre-trial preparations ahead of the formal presentation of evidence.