MANILA — Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s appearance before the Senate impeachment court has been moved to Sept. 28 after the court adjusted its witness calendar due to unfinished testimony on Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s corporate records and the oral arguments on the impeachment conviction threshold.

Presiding officer Francis Escudero on Monday recalled the subpoena ordering Sebastian to appear on Sept. 23 and directed the issuance of new subpoenas for three prosecution witnesses from Sept. 28 to 30.

“Given that we failed to finish or we did not finish (the Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC] witness) today and cross will be continued tomorrow . . . and given as well that we will be having oral arguments on Wednesday, the Chair recalls the subpoena issued to Mayor Sebastian Duterte on Sept. 23,” Escudero said.

The Senate impeachment court had set Sept. 23 for oral arguments on the disputed number of votes needed to convict the Vice President.

House prosecutor Terry Ridon earlier asked that the prosecution’s three remaining witnesses be moved to the following week.

Escudero, however, asked the prosecution to immediately finalize the sequence so the court could issue the corresponding subpoenas.

“Can you make the manifestation by tomorrow (Tuesday) so that we can issue the subpoenas also by tomorrow?” Escudero asked.

Ridon then placed the lineup on record.

“’Yung pong pagkakasunod-sunod ay (The sequence is) Davao City Mayor, Honorable Sebastian Z. Duterte. Ikalawa(second), PhilHealth Regional Office 11… At ikatlo po (and third), PNP Firearms and Explosives Office,” Ridon said.

The witnesses will be presented in connection with the prosecution’s evidence under Article II of the impeachment complaint, including records from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s Davao regional office and the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office.

Ridon clarified that the subpoenas would cover both testimony and documentary evidence.

Meanwhile, cross-examination of the prosecution’s SEC witness is set to continue Tuesday.

The prosecution has been presenting SEC records concerning Duterte’s declared business interests and corporate affiliations./PNA