Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

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Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178529504926312 (2).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Lead House prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. <em>Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The House prosecution panel has expressed support for changing the order of presenting evidence in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, saying a per-article approach would allow senator-judges and the public to better assess the merits of each accusation.</p><p>Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, House prosecutor and Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro said the proposal did not originate from the prosecution but from the Senate impeachment court, which sought the positions of both parties on whether evidence should be presented article by article.</p><p>Under the current rules, the prosecution first presents evidence for all four Articles of Impeachment before the defense begins presenting its case. The proposed setup would allow the prosecution and defense to present evidence alternately for each article before moving to the next.</p><p>Luistro said the prosecution agreed to the proposal because it would make it easier for senator-judges to compare the evidence presented by both sides while the issues remain fresh.</p><p>“We saw it better to proceed immediately to the evidence of the defense right after the presentation of the evidence of the prosecution on one article so that there will be continuity of appreciation of evidence,” Luistro said.</p><p>She said the current setup could make it difficult for senator-judges to recall evidence presented months earlier by the time the defense begins its case.</p><p>“If we finish all four articles first, there is a possibility that by the time the defense presents its evidence on the first article, the senator-judges may have already forgotten the evidence presented by the prosecution,” she said.</p><p>The prosecution believes the proposed format would also benefit the public by making it easier to follow the proceedings.</p><p>The defense, however, rejected the proposal. Luistro said the impeachment court has the authority to decide whether to amend the order of presentation after considering the positions submitted by both sides.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SPLICED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Luistro also raised concerns over what she described as the spread of misleading and allegedly spliced videos involving senator-judges, saying misinformation could affect public understanding of the trial.</p><p>She cited circulating videos involving Senators Pia Cayetano and Robin Padilla but said the prosecution would first await their responses before deciding whether to take any action.</p><p>“I want to give them the benefit of the doubt,” she said. “We have not yet heard their position.”</p><p>She stressed that all parties, including prosecutors, the defense, and senator-judges, should ensure that information reaching the public accurately reflects the impeachment proceedings.</p><p>“There should be no spliced videos. It should be the real video that reaches the public,” she said.</p><p>Luistro said the prosecution has designated spokespersons to explain developments in the trial and counter misinformation, including through interviews in regional languages.</p><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rJe7BLKQbK8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gWLUlIn2n0I?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The House prosecution panel has expressed support for changing the order of presenting evidence in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, saying a per-article approach would allow senator-judges and the public to better assess the merits of each accusation.</p>

The House prosecution panel has expressed support for changing the order of presenting evidence in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, saying a per-article approach would allow senator-judges and the public to better assess the merits of each accusation.

Prosecution backs per-article presentation of evidence in Duterte impeachment trial

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Prosecution backs per-article presentation of evidence in Duterte impeachment trial

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 29, 2026 11:31 AM PHT

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Impeachment Trial

Sara Duterte

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