House panel, lawyer warn vs. disinformation, delays amid Duterte impeachment trial

Marywin Love Julito

Disinformation and trial delays emerged as key concerns in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, with officials warning that false narratives and premature debates could delay the pre-trial stage, June 22.

“That is not true, that is fake news. We should beware of fake news. That has been anticipated since we started these proceedings. That there would be a lot of socmed operations,” Lead House prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro said, dismissing claims that the prosecution panel had been overwhelmed by Duterte’s defense team during the June 18 pre-trial conference.

Falsehoods and Facts

Luistro said social media claims that the defense had the upper hand over the prosecution did not reflect what happened during the closed-door proceedings.

“What happened really was a mere exchange of argument, mere exchange of manifestation which ended to an agreement to submit instead all the issues, all the admissions and denials, including the list of witnesses, list of exhibits,” she said in ANC News.

She added that claims circulating online about the prosecution being outmatched were unfounded.

“Lahat ng nag-circulate sa social media about dominating the prosecution—we do not agree to that. As a matter of fact, I charge it to fake news which we have anticipated ever since this impeachment process started kahit noong sa House pa,” Luistro said.

“That is why I wish to remind the Filipino people, let us be cautious in reading from social media,” she added.

Delay Debate

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal cautioned against tackling issues involving the number of votes needed to convict Duterte during the pre-trial stage, as this could slow the proceedings.

“Debating during the pre-trial stage—whether the two-thirds vote should be based on all 24 Senate members or if it should exclude those who are detained or missing—is putting the cart before the horse,” Macalintal said in a statement.

“This issue will only become real if and when actual voting takes place. Wrangling over it now will only delay the trial,” he added.

Macalintal said the pre-trial conference is intended to identify agreed facts and mark evidence, not resolve hypothetical questions regarding a future conviction vote.

Tracking the trial

Despite concerns over disinformation and possible procedural distractions, Luistro said the prosecution would remain focused on keeping the impeachment proceedings on schedule.

“Even if there will be attempts, the prosecution will remain firm in making sure that the trial will start on July 6, 2026, as previously scheduled by the Senate,” she said.

House prosecutors earlier said the impeachment trial could extend beyond September because of the volume of witnesses and documentary evidence expected to be presented by both sides.

The prosecution has requested 62 trial dates, while the defense has sought 30.

According to panel legal spokesperson and private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr., the proceedings could still conclude sooner depending on how the impeachment court schedules witness testimonies and hearings.