Vice President Sara Duterte legal team asserted that there was no conscious effort to delay the Senate impeachment trial, lawyer Michael Poa, spokesperson of Duterte’s defense team explained.

Poa said they don’t want to subject their client to a long proceeding.

Poa made the clarification in reaction to social media assumptions that the defense panel was delaying the trial.

The allegations came following numerous objections from defense counsel Carlo Joaquin Narvasa during the second day of the trial.

“That’s totally untrue. That was never even discussed within the defense team,” Poa said of the claims.

“If that’s their opinion, that’s okay. But at least on our end, wala kaming napag-uusapan at all about that, because, you know, we also don’t want to subject the respondent to such a prolonged proceeding, and even as lawyers, siyempre gusto na rin namin, as much as possible, na matapos sa lalong madaling panahon itong impeachment trial,” he added.

On Wednesday, senator-judge Bam Aquino appealed to the defense and prosecution teams to allow a proceeding that will “go straight to the point” following multiple objections from Narvasa and Amando Virgil Ligutan, counsel for the prosecutors, during the second and third day of the trial.

Aquino pointed out that the Senate court already used around 9 hours only for the first witness, John Mark Calilung, a senior agent of the National Bureau of Investigation who authenticated and investigated the video where Duterte allegedly issued grave threats.

Poa said he believes the prosecution and the defense teams do not want to delay the trial “any further than it’s supposed to go for.”

He said that the defense team would only raise objections if they see the need to do so.

Trial court presiding officer Francis Escudero said the hearings could quicken in the coming days.

The Senate impeachment proceedings are forecast to last for up to 8 months to accommodate some 92 trial days.