House Prosecutors Unfazed by Marcos Leaving Sara Duterte Impeachment Out of SONA

Members of the House prosecution panel said they were unfazed by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr.'s decision to leave out Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial from his State of the Nation Address (SONA) this year. They interpreted the omission as the President's respect for the independence of the legislature, given that the impeachment trial is currently pending before the Senate. Mamayang Liberal (ML) party-list Rep. Leila De Lima, a former senator and secretary of justice, stated that she had expected the President not to mention the impeachment. "We were expecting that he won’t mention it to show that he is hands off on the impeachment. This is an ongoing process," De Lima said. She added, "Although he could have said something about, you know, still about the need for accountability, at least a sentence or two, without necessarily pinpointing the impeachment process." De Lima emphasized, "I would say it is only right for him not to speak about it because the case is pending before the Senate impeachment court." Lanao Del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong echoed this sentiment, saying the President's call for accountability is not diminished by his decision to avoid discussing the impeachment. "The President is giving way for the legislature to do its job. The impeachment is no longer an issue for the Executive or for the President to intervene. We have already reached the point where the Senate is acting as a court. So it's a recognition in respect to all fronts of the government," Adiong explained. He further stated, "Actually I wasn't expecting, and I wasn't hoping that the impeachment trial will be mentioned here." Adiong considered the non-mention of the impeachment trial in SONA 2026 as "a way of respecting the independence of the legislature." He also noted that the Constitution already provides for such processes, and the President does not need to mention it explicitly because "we have already seen it" and are "witnessing the process by which the second highest official in the land is being held to account because of her unlawful utterances." The Articles of Impeachment approved by the House for Senate action accuse the Vice President of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes, based on her alleged "unlawful utterances." The Vice President has maintained that the impeachment case against her should be dismissed for lack of evidence and that her supposed threat to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and his family members are just part of her right to freedom of expression. The trial will resume on Wednesday, July 29. –NB, GMA News