MANILA — The House prosecution panel said it will present more than 30 witnesses in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, according to lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro.

At a press briefing in the House of Representatives, Luistro said the identities of some witnesses, as well as certain documentary evidence, may not be disclosed at the pre-trial stage for security and procedural reasons.

She said the list of witnesses expanded after prosecutors included additional individuals whose testimonies are seen as important in supporting the allegations stated in the Articles of Impeachment.

“It is more than 25. The witnesses are not only 25, it’s not only 30, it’s even more,” Luistro said.

Luistro said the prosecution broadened its witness pool to ensure that all relevant testimony can be presented in court, in line with impeachment rules requiring witnesses to be identified during pre-trial proceedings.

“It is because we recognize the rule that only those witnesses whose names were submitted during pre-trial will be allowed to testify during the trial,” Luistro said.

“So, if before we’re trying to limit corroborative witnesses, we’re selecting only the most important witnesses, we wanted to make sure that all testimony will be presented in court, and that is why we considered other witnesses whose testimony are likewise significant.”

During Monday’s proceedings, prosecutors conducted a pre-trial brief that included proposed stipulations of fact, witness lists, and documentary evidence intended for presentation before the Senate impeachment court.

Luistro said impeachment rules also allow parties to reserve certain witnesses and evidence, as long as their relevance and purpose are sufficiently described.

She said this mechanism helps address security concerns and situations where documents or witnesses are not yet ready for disclosure during pre-trial.

San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora said the rules allow limited withholding of witness identities while still informing the court of their expected testimony.

“While the general rule is that we have to list down all of the names of the witnesses that we will be presenting during trial, we are allowed to withhold certain names for security and safety purposes,” Zamora said.

“We are also allowed to make a reservation of witnesses as long as we are able to give a description of the witness and the purpose for which they will be presented.”

The issue came up after reporters asked whether bank officials would be presented as witnesses in relation to allegations involving unexplained wealth.

Zamora said such individuals may not yet be publicly named at this stage, but their positions and roles in the case may be described in pre-trial filings.

“So, regarding the bank officials, for example, it is possible that we will not yet say the names of these persons, but there will be a description of their position and or the purpose of their testimony,” she said.

Luistro added that bank representatives and financial records have long been included in the evidence the House intends to present.

The prosecution team is also preparing documentary evidence, particularly for allegations involving misuse of confidential funds and unexplained wealth.

The Senate impeachment court is scheduled to hold its pre-trial conference on June 18, with the trial set to begin on July 6.