Philippine Senate to open online access to Sara Duterte's impeachment trial records

Dubai: The public will soon be able to follow the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte through official court records after the Philippine Senate ordered that key case documents be published online.

The move, announced by presiding officer Francis "Chiz" Escudero, has been intended to make one of the country's most closely watched political proceedings more transparent by giving the public direct access to filings from both the prosecution and the defence.

For the millions of Filipinos living abroad, including in the UAE, it also offers a way to track developments through official records as the trial unfolds.

According to a report from the Philippine News Agency, Escudero has directed the Clerk of Court to create dedicated pages on the Senate website where pleadings, motions, memoranda, and other filings submitted by both sides will be uploaded.

Moreover, the journal of proceedings will be published online, but only after it has been approved by the impeachment court.

"Consistent with Article 2, Section 28 of the Constitution on the policy of public disclosure in matters involving public interest and to give life to the directive under the rules to open the impeachment proceedings to the public, the Court hereby directs the Clerk of Court to create the necessary Internet web pages," said Escudero.

On the other hand, senator-judge Bam Aquino has noted that the records should be uploaded as quickly as possible, saying that delayed publication would undermine the purpose of making the documents publicly accessible.

In response, Escudero has bared that the impeachment court aims to upload records in real time, with the exception of the journal of proceedings, which requires the court's approval before publication.

He has mentioned that the articles of impeachment, together with their annexes, and Duterte's official answer have already been uploaded.

However, making the remaining records available will take time because court staff are processing more than 10,000 documents.

Additionally, senator-judges would be updated before the end of the week on a realistic timetable for uploading additional records.

Duterte has been facing allegations that include the misuse of confidential and intelligence funds, unexplained wealth, and controversial public remarks directed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former house speaker Martin Romualdez.

House prosecutors have argued that the allegations amount to violations of constitutional provisions on public accountability and a betrayal of public trust.

Meanwhile, the vice president has repeatedly denied the accusations.

The Senate's convening as an impeachment court has marked the start of a trial expected to last several weeks.

Both the prosecution and defence will present evidence, call witnesses, and make legal arguments before the senator-judges, whose eventual verdict could have far-reaching political consequences in the Philippines.

As the proceedings continue, the publication of court records online has been expected to give the public an unprecedented view of the evidence and legal arguments shaping the historic impeachment trial.