Manila: The Senate impeachment court on Wednesday ordered the issuance of subpoenas to the prosecution's first set of witnesses concerning the confidential funds article. This decision comes as the court deferred its ruling on separate motions for subpoenas involving Vice President Sara Duterte's related bank records, pending further questioning by senator-judges.

According to Philippines News Agency, Presiding Officer Francis 'Chiz' Escudero granted the House prosecution panel's request to issue subpoenas to Marivic Pareja of the House of Representatives' Legislative Archives, Museum Management Service, and former Land Bank branch managers Violeta Constantino and Nenita Camposano. Additionally, a subpoena duces tecum was issued to Land Bank official Lynette Ortiz. These witnesses are directed to appear before the impeachment court on July 21 and 22.

The court has approved subpoenas ad testificandum for the witnesses' testimonies and, in the case of Ortiz, a subpoena duces tecum for producing specific documents related to the confidential funds article. Meanwhile, Escudero stated that senator-judges agreed during a caucus to further study two pending motions for subpoenas, as not all members had completed reviewing the memoranda and legal issues involved.

'For the information of the parties, as well as the viewing public, in caucus, the senator-judges agreed to study the matter more, given that not everyone has actually completed reading the memoranda given by the parties and submitted by the parties, and given that they want more time to look into the complicated issues involved in these two motions for the issuance of subpoena,' Escudero said. The court will hear questions from senator-judges to both the prosecution and defense on Monday before deciding on the pending motions.

Under the court's rules, each senator-judge will have up to 10 minutes to question each side, with the total questioning time not to exceed one hour per party. In response to Senator-Judge Bam Aquino's clarification on the order of presentation of evidence, Escudero explained that the prosecution will first present evidence on all articles of impeachment. The defense will then present its case, after which the court will deliberate and decide on each article individually following formal offers of evidence and closing arguments.