MANILA – The Senate impeachment court’s judicial notice of official House records could shorten the time allotted for prosecutors to present evidence on Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds, private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan said.

“Mapapadali ang presentation of evidence because of this judicial notice,” Kapunan said during an online press briefing.

The prosecution has been allotted 31 trial days to present its evidence on the first article of impeachment, which accuses Duterte of the alleged misuse, misappropriation and irregular liquidation of PHP612.5 million in confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education.

Kapunan said prosecutors may no longer need to use all 31 days because the judicial notice could reduce the number of documents and witnesses that need to be presented separately.

“Sa palagay ko, itong 31 days naman eh hindi naman kailangan lahat, no?” she said.

The impeachment court on Monday took judicial notice of official records transmitted to the House Legislative Archives and Museum Management Service following the hearings of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability in 2024.

The defense had stipulated to the custody and transmittal of the records, allowing the prosecution to dispense with the testimony of House archives service director Marivic Pareja, who had been presented to establish the authenticity and custody of the documents.

Kapunan said the judicial notice could also spare the prosecution from presenting some House records and calling witnesses whose testimony would merely establish matters already contained in the official documents.

“Ang ibig sabihin ng judicial notice, hindi na kailangang pakita ’yung transcripts sa House, hindi na kailangang i-produce ’yung mga dokumento. At maraming admissions doon, ano?” she said.

“Malalaman ninyo in the next few days na mababawasan ang witnesses natin dahil sa judicial notice na ’yan,” Kapunan added.

She also pointed to testimony already given by former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, saying it could further streamline the prosecution’s presentation.

“At dahil sa testimony ng mga witnesses, lalong-lalo na si Acosta, eh maraming napatunayan ang prosecution sa kanya,” Kapunan said.

Acosta, who remains an OVP employee, was declared a hostile witness on Monday after prosecutors cited her coterminous employment under Duterte and a counter-affidavit in which she took a position adverse to the prosecution.

During her testimony, Acosta said Duterte instructed her to turn over PHP125 million in confidential funds to then-OVP security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, who also served as commander of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.

The impeachment court’s proceedings were suspended Tuesday and Wednesday due to weather-related disruptions, delaying the continuation of Acosta’s direct examination.

Despite the delays, Kapunan maintained that the judicial notice and evidence already established on record could allow the prosecution to complete its presentation on Article I in fewer than the allotted 31 days.