VP Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial Opens With Focus on Accountability

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 06 July 2026) – The impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte commenced on Monday, Day 1, at the Senate Impeachment Court. In their opening statements, both the Prosecution and Defense panels invoked the accountability of public officials, each framing it within their respective arguments. Rep. Gerville Luistro, Lead Prosecution counsel, declared they would present "Evidence, hindi chismis, hindi haka-haka, hindi propaganda, at lalong hindi soc-med narrative. Evidence. Official records. Financial documents. Government reports. Video recordings. Statements under oath. Independent findings of institutions created by law.” She summarized this as “Mga dokumento na hindi bumoboto. Mga records na walang partido. Mia katotohanan na walang kulay pangpolitika,” referring to the impartiality and nonpartisanship of documents, records, and truth, thereby underscoring the Vice President’s accountability. Lead Defense Counsel Sheila Sison, conversely, emphasized that the burden of proof "never shifts" and that those accusing the Vice President must prove their allegations with "evidence that meets not only the degree of proof required but also meets the evidentiary standards of admissibility, credibility, relevance, materiality, and competence.” She pointed to the Prosecution’s claims as “speculations and conclusions,” asserting that unless the prosecution discharges its burden, the accused need not even offer evidence on her behalf and will be entitled to an acquittal. Duterte did not appear at the Senate Impeachment Court. In a statement posted at 12:44 p.m., an hour and 16 minutes before the 2 p.m. hearing, she stated she would be represented by counsel. "The respondent has the right to be represented by counsel, and the decision to personally testify is a matter of legal strategy and constitutional rights," she said in a three-paragraph statement. "The burden remains on the prosecution to prove its case. Choosing to appear through counsel rather than testify personally does not diminish accountability or imply a lack of transparency. The integrity of an impeachment trial depends on adherence to the rule of law-not on whether the respondent personally takes the stand,” she added. The Prosecution transmitted four Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial: the alleged misuse of 612.5 million pesos of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd); alleged unexplained wealth, nondisclosure of assets and failure to divest and willful continued business interests; alleged bribery and procurement irregularities of Department of Education officials; and alleged threats of assassination against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife Liza, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Luistro addressed the relevance of the impeachment trial to the lives of ordinary Filipinos, stressing that "what is being discussed today is about something they own: the people’s money. Their trust. Their right to demand accountability from the leaders they entrusted the country to.” In Filipino, she cited examples of accountability expected of employees and village officials, stating, “Natural lang na magtanong ang sambayanan kung ang ordinaryong Pilipino ay pinapanagot, bakit hindi ang pinakamakapangyarihan na opisyal ng pamahalaan?” (So it is natural for the people to ask, if an ordinary Filipino is being asked to account for the funds, why not the highest official in government?). Sison reminded the Prosecution that they aim to unseat a Vice President elected in May 2022 by "more than 32 million Filipino people," a number greater than that of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and "much greater than any of the votes secured by each of the members of the House of Representatives who now are here to prosecute her and seek to undo the people’s choice." "Whatever one’s political persuasion is, the reality is that the Prosecution now comes before this Court to remove a Vice President chosen by an overwhelming number of the electorate," Sison said. She added that seeking accountability "is not a matter of debate" as the people have a right to demand it from their leaders. However, she noted that the Constitution does not only speak to the Vice President but also to public prosecutors and members of the House of Representatives, who "are also held to the same constitutional standard." Sison noted that this is not the first time the Vice President has been impeached, citing previous impeachment attempts in February and May of the previous year, which did not reach the trial phase. She referenced a Supreme Court decision from July 2025 that unanimously declared impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives tainted with grave abuse of discretion, rendering the articles of impeachment void ab initio. Early this year, she added, the Supreme Court unanimously denied the House of Representatives’ motion for reconsideration, reminding that while impeachment is a democratic process to address corruption, it "should never be abused to maintain the hegemonic dominance of greed by shaming those who occupy high government positions into preventing them from doing what they were sworn to do.” Sison concluded by highlighting the Supreme Court’s reminder that "the rule of law that does justice is our lodestar, and that justice includes accountability. Justice includes fairness. Without fairness, there is abuse.” Luistro called on the Senator-judges to judge the case "not by politics, not by popularity, not by fear, not by loyalty" but by the Constitution and by the evidence. Information Source: MindaNews Philippines (GN)