VP Duterte impeachment trial could take over 3 months, says lead prosecutor

House lead prosecutor Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro says Vice President Sara Duterte Senate impeachment trial would likely take over three months to complete--longer than she previously anticipated. "Mukhang hindi kakayanin na hanggang September lang (Look like holding hearings up to September wont be enough)," Luistro said in a press conference Monday, June 22, or on the second day of pre-trial conference (PTC) between the prosecution and defense teams. "But nevertheless, the number of trial dates for the prosecution and the defense is subject to the discretion of the impeachment court," Luistro said. "So it will be the impeachment court who will have the final say kung ilan ang trial dates na ipagkakaloob sa prosecution, in the same way kung ilan ang trial dates na ipagkakaloob sa depensa," noted the lawyer-legislator. (So it will be the impeachment court who will have the final say on how many trial dates will be given to the prosecution, in the same way as how many trial dates will be given to the defense.) It was just before the first PTC on June 18 when Luistro said, "Mahaba pa itong trial na ito. Sa estimate ko nga, abutin ito hanggang end of September (This trial will still be long. In my estimate, it will reach until the end of September)." The actual trial against the twice-impeached Duterte will begin on July 6. Luistro is now saying that the high-stakes trial could reach up to November. The team of public and private prosecutors--now 22 and counting--aim to get a conviction on the Vice President on at least one of four articles of impeachment. These allegations are the alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds; untruthful declarations in the filing of her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth; unexplained wealth;...