MANILA – A retired Sandiganbayan presiding justice and officials from the Office of the Ombudsman and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are set to be the first witnesses when the House prosecution begins presenting its unexplained wealth case against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte on Monday, Sept. 14.

House impeachment prosecutor Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said prosecutors have asked the Senate impeachment court to subpoena the three witnesses.

“We had submitted already our request to subpoena these three personalities for next week. So we will wait for the order para ma-subpoena po sila,” Ridon said at a press briefing Thursday.

The requested subpoenas cover retired Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, Ombudsman Records Division Officer-in-Charge Atty. Karen Batu, and SEC Company Registration and Monitoring Department Director Atty. Gerardo del Rosario.

Ridon said Cabotaje-Tang is expected to testify on principles concerning public accountability and integrity in public office, as well as mechanisms for addressing undisclosed and unexplained wealth and prohibited business interests.

Batu will testify on Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth submitted to the Ombudsman, while Del Rosario is expected to authenticate and identify corporate records involving companies linked to Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases “Mans” Carpio.

The prosecution plans to present the three witnesses in that order, subject to the impeachment court’s action on the subpoena requests and final arrangements on the presentation date.

Ridon, who co-leads the Article II prosecution team with Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno, said prosecutors were also completing the marking of additional documents as they prepared for Monday’s opening of evidence on the unexplained wealth charge.

“So hopefully by Monday, handang-handa na po kami sa lahat po ng mga documentary evidence at paglalahad po ng mga testigo,” Ridon said.

Article II accuses Duterte of betrayal of public trust for allegedly accumulating unexplained wealth disproportionate to her lawful income and failing to fully and truthfully disclose her assets and liabilities.

The prosecution has prepared more than 1,800 financial documents, including bank and tax records involving Duterte, Carpio and their companies.

Ridon said Bureau of Internal Revenue personnel, bank representatives and officials from other government agencies are among the other potential witnesses.

Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV also remains on the prosecution’s witness list and could testify in the coming weeks.

The prosecution, however, may shorten its witness list if it determines that the evidence already presented is sufficient.

“Kung masapatan po kami doon sa mga nauna na pong nailahad, hindi naman po kailangang-kailangang ipwersa, h