{"id":13563,"date":"2026-07-20T06:55:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T05:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/?p=13563"},"modified":"2026-07-17T11:34:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T10:34:35","slug":"senate-opens-impeachment-trial-against-vice-president-sara-duterte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/senate-opens-impeachment-trial-against-vice-president-sara-duterte\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate opens impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Philippine Senate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gmanetwork.com\/news\/topstories\/nation\/993934\/sara-duterte-defense-team-seeks-acquittal-amid-impeachment-aimed-at-ousting-vp\/story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">began<\/a> the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 6, 2026, with Senator Francis &#8220;Chiz&#8221; Escudero as the presiding officer.<\/p>\n<p>According to the pre-trial order from June 29, 2026, sessions are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abs-cbn.com\/news\/nation\/2026\/6\/29\/sara-duterte-impeachment-pre-trial-order-1810\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">set<\/a> for 2:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from July 6 to 27. After that, hearings shift to 3:00 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The Senate has <a href=\"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/2257487\/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial-everything-you-need-to-know\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">allocated<\/a> 92 trial days for the proceedings.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors intend to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abs-cbn.com\/news\/nation\/2026\/6\/29\/sara-duterte-impeachment-pre-trial-order-1810\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">call<\/a> \u00a057 witnesses, and the defense has listed 45.<\/p>\n<p>Hearings will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abs-cbn.com\/news\/nation\/2026\/6\/29\/sara-duterte-impeachment-pre-trial-order-1810\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">use<\/a> both Filipino and English, and the public may <a href=\"https:\/\/www.philstar.com\/headlines\/2026\/06\/29\/2538499\/senate-eyes-shorter-vp-sara-impeachment-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">attend<\/a> the trial.<\/p>\n<p><em>A Trial Amid Senate Turmoil<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The impeachment trial followed weeks of Senate infighting and leadership changes.<\/p>\n<p>The House of Representatives <a href=\"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/house-impeaches-sara-duterte\/\">sent<\/a> \u00a0the articles of impeachment to the Senate on May 13, 2026, just two days after a surprise coup that installed Alan Peter Cayetano, a Duterte ally, as president. His leadership <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/philippines-senate-closed-cayetano-impasse-e50ef44df44429484a1adb88cc67ab4c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fell<\/a> apart after his ally, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, was arrested without bail on plunder charges. With Cayetano\u2019s group weakened, opposing senators soon <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/philippines-senate-closed-cayetano-impasse-e50ef44df44429484a1adb88cc67ab4c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">took<\/a> control of the chamber.<\/p>\n<p>Senators Francis Escudero and Joel Villanueva, previously aligned with Cayetano, later joined the opposition bloc that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rappler.com\/philippines\/win-gatchalian-elected-senate-president\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">elected<\/a> Sherwin \u201cWin\u201d Gatchalian as Senate president on June 17, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Gatchalian has <a href=\"https:\/\/senate.gov.ph\/senator\/Win-Gatchalian\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">served<\/a> as senator since 2016 and is a member of the Nationalist People\u2019s Coalition (NPC).<\/p>\n<p><em>Charges Against Duterte<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Sara Duterte <a href=\"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/2257487\/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial-everything-you-need-to-know\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">faces<\/a> four main impeachment complaints:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Alleged misuse of 612.5 million Pesos (about 8.7 million Euro) in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education;<\/li>\n<li>Alleged unexplained wealth and failure to disclose statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth from 2022 to 2024, including continued business interests;<\/li>\n<li>Alleged bribery and procurement irregularities in the Department of Education; and,<\/li>\n<li>Alleged assassination threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, as well as inciting sedition against the government.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Senate\u2019s Pre-Trial Order <a href=\"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/2257487\/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial-everything-you-need-to-know\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">states<\/a> that prosecutors will open with the assassination plot charges, then move to the alleged misuse of funds, bribery, and unexplained wealth.<\/p>\n<p>Duterte did not <a href=\"https:\/\/globalnation.inquirer.net\/330086\/philippines-democracy-tested-by-duterte-impeachment-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">attend<\/a> the impeachment proceedings in person so far. Her 16-member defense team, led by attorney Sheila Sison, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abs-cbn.com\/news\/nation\/2026\/7\/6\/in-opening-statement-defense-raises-sc-ruling-vs-duterte-impeachment-in-2025-1701\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">represented<\/a> her in the proceedings. Duterte\u2019s defense <a href=\"https:\/\/globalnation.inquirer.net\/330086\/philippines-democracy-tested-by-duterte-impeachment-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">called<\/a> the case politically motivated.<\/p>\n<p>Sison <a href=\"https:\/\/qa.philstar.com\/headlines\/2026\/07\/06\/2540270\/sara-duterte-trial-recap-july-6-fiery-openings-settled-questions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">emphasized<\/a> that Duterte is a vice president elected by more than 32 million Filipin@s and <a href=\"https:\/\/qa.philstar.com\/headlines\/2026\/07\/06\/2540270\/sara-duterte-trial-recap-july-6-fiery-openings-settled-questions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">invoked<\/a> the Supreme Court\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.philstar.com\/headlines\/2025\/07\/25\/2460674\/unconstitutional-supreme-court-bars-impeachment-vs-vp-sara-duterte\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2025 ruling<\/a> that voided the first impeachment case for grave abuse of discretion.<\/p>\n<p>Also on July 6, 2026, lawyers allied with Vice President Sara Duterte <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manilatimes.net\/2026\/07\/07\/news\/duterte-camp-asks-sc-to-halt-impeachment-trial-over-invalid-presiding-officer\/2379706\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">petitioned<\/a> the Supreme Court to stop her impeachment trial, citing constitutional issues in the Senate\u2019s leadership. They <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manilatimes.net\/2026\/07\/07\/news\/duterte-camp-asks-sc-to-halt-impeachment-trial-over-invalid-presiding-officer\/2379706\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">questioned<\/a> Senator Francis Chiz Escudero\u2019s authority as presiding officer of the impeachment court, urging a restraining order.<\/p>\n<p>Senators Alan and Pia Cayetano also <a href=\"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/2259515\/duterte-lawyers-question-escudero-as-impeach-trial-presider\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">disputed<\/a> Escudero\u2019s selection as presiding officer.<\/p>\n<p>Escudero <a href=\"https:\/\/qa.philstar.com\/headlines\/2026\/07\/06\/2540270\/sara-duterte-trial-recap-july-6-fiery-openings-settled-questions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">declared<\/a> that a conviction requires at least 16 affirmative votes, regardless of absences, dismissing speculation that the threshold could be lowered due to detained or absent Duterte allies.<\/p>\n<p>Three senators \u2013 Rodante Marcoleta (arrested on plunder charges), Jinggoy Estrada (detained and suspended), and Ronald \u201cBato\u201d dela Rosa (in hiding from an International Criminal Court arrest warrant) \u2013 are <a href=\"https:\/\/qa.philstar.com\/headlines\/2026\/07\/06\/2540270\/sara-duterte-trial-recap-july-6-fiery-openings-settled-questions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">presumed<\/a> unable to participate. The prosecution had <a href=\"https:\/\/qa.philstar.com\/headlines\/2026\/07\/06\/2540270\/sara-duterte-trial-recap-july-6-fiery-openings-settled-questions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hoped<\/a> their absence would lower the threshold to 14 or 15 votes, but Escudero dismissed this possibility.<\/p>\n<p>On July 14, 2026, after four days of proceedings, Duterte released a written statement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gmanetwork.com\/news\/topstories\/nation\/994796\/sara-duterte-impeachment-complaint-evidence\/story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">claiming<\/a> the prosecution had not presented credible evidence of the alleged threats she is accused of making against President Marcos Jr., his wife, and his cousin in November 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Political Science Professor from the University of the Philippines Jean Franco <a href=\"https:\/\/globalnation.inquirer.net\/330086\/philippines-democracy-tested-by-duterte-impeachment-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stressed<\/a> that the trial is a test of Philippines\u2019 democracy. So far only two Filipino officials have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/live\/c1lyy82571lt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">faced<\/a> an impeachment trial: former President Joseph Estrada and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. However, only Corona was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/live\/c1lyy82571lt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">convicted<\/a> in 2012 for failing to declare assets worth 2.4 million Dollar (about 2.1 million Euro) in foreign currency accounts.<\/p>\n<p>Duterte <a href=\"https:\/\/globalnation.inquirer.net\/330086\/philippines-democracy-tested-by-duterte-impeachment-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has<\/a> high popularity ratings among voters. However, if convicted, she could be <a href=\"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/2257487\/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial-everything-you-need-to-know\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">removed<\/a> from office and perpetually barred from holding public office.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Photo \u00a9 AMP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Philippine Senate began the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 6, 2026, with Senator Francis &#8220;Chiz&#8221; Escudero as the presiding officer. According to the pre-trial order from June 29, 2026, sessions are set for 2:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from July 6 to 27. After that, hearings shift to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":9515,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[73,58,59,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aktuelles-en","category-human-rights-news","category-internal-affairs","category-news-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13563"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13607,"href":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13563\/revisions\/13607"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amp.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}