The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is set to continue Monday, Nov. 9, despite the expected absence of the defense panel’s first witness, who has requested to be excused due to a medical appointment.
House Lead Prosecutor Gerville Luistro confirmed that lawyer Suzette Balucanag-Punay, corporate counsel for GenCorp Industries Inc. and Metro City Chow Foods Corporation, will not attend the scheduled proceedings because she has a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appointment.
Punay was expected to testify about corporate records and business interests allegedly linked to Duterte. Luistro said her testimony could instead be presented Wednesday.
With Punay unavailable, prosecutors are preparing for the possibility that the defense will begin presenting evidence through local government officials.
The potential witnesses include Davao City Assessor Jaime Adalin, Island Garden City of Samal Assessor John Kenneth Enumerables and Matina Crossing Barangay Chairperson Cindy Colina.
According to Luistro, prosecutors anticipate that the officials will testify regarding two properties identified by the Land Registration Authority that allegedly were not reflected in Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
Luistro said the prosecution had previously presented property titles and deeds of sale involving the two properties, which allegedly did not match the declarations contained in Duterte’s SALN.
The anticipated testimony is expected to address records associated with the disputed properties and their reported absence from the vice president’s asset declarations.
The development follows an earlier setback for the defense after Dean Ralph Sarmiento, initially identified as its prospective first witness, declined to testify.
Despite the witness scheduling issues, the impeachment proceedings are expected to move forward as the defense prepares to present evidence.
The prosecution, meanwhile, remains focused on the property records and declarations raised during the trial, with testimony from the identified local officials potentially forming part of the defense’s presentation.
