Private prosecutor Atty. Lorna Kapunan said Thursday the prosecution is prepared to begin presenting evidence in the upcoming impeachment trial on July 6, with at least 57 witnesses lined up.

Speaking at a press conference, Kapunan said the pre-trial process has been largely completed, including stipulations and admissions, and the issuance of a pre-trial order outlining key matters for trial.

“Lahat ng stipulations kung merong admissions at lumabas na ang pre-trial order,” Kapunan said.

“So nakalista na sa prosecution sa amin po ay 57 witnesses. Sa defense ay mga 20-something witnesses," she added.

Kapunan confirmed that the prosecution has already submitted its witness list in compliance with the pre-trial order, which requires parties to disclose witnesses at least three days before hearings to avoid surprises.

She said the initial phase of the trial will focus on allegations related to threats, as indicated in the pre-trial order, but declined to provide further details.

On the prosecution’s formal comment to the pre-trial order, Kapunan said it was filed a day earlier but refused to disclose its contents.

“I cannot disclose the gist of our comments. Hintayin natin ang pre-trial court na mag-order, mag-comment sa comment namin,” she said, adding that the prosecution is “very happy” with the pre-trial order, noting that only minor technical issues remain.

Kapunan also said both prosecution and defense agreed during pre-trial proceedings to mark as evidence a disputed Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) box, leaving its admissibility to the impeachment court.

The prosecution is pushing for transparency in the proceedings, opposing the use of executive sessions for presenting evidence.

“Ang position ng prosecution ay dapat transparent, dapat sa impeachment court. Hindi pwedeng i-executive session ang mga ebidensya,” she said.

Kapunan reiterated that private prosecutors are allowed to examine witnesses under Senate impeachment rules, subject to the supervision of public prosecutors.

Calling the proceedings a “trial of the century,” Kapunan expressed hope that the case would be resolved swiftly.

“Sana itong trial of the century ay hindi mag-last ng isang century,” she said.

Under the rules, Kapunan said, the prosecution is expected to present one witness per day once the trial begins.