VP Sara’s impeachment trial starts on July 6
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 05 July 2026) – Impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, Mindanao’s highest ranking elected official, faces the Senate Impeachment Court starting July 6, Day 1 of the 92 hearings scheduled.
Sixty-two of the hearings have been proposed for the Prosecution and 30 for the Defense, according to the 15-page Pre-Trial Order signed on June 29 by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
The hearings will be conducted thrice a week from Mondays to Wednesdays at 2 p.m. until President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27 and Tuesdays to Thursdays at 3 p.m. thereafter, until its termination.
The Pre-Trial Order noted that of the 62 hearings for the Prosecution, 31 trial dates will focus on the misuse of confidential funds; 12 on unexplained wealth; 11 on grave threats and assassination plot; and eight on bribery at the Department of Education.
The Prosecution listed 57 witnesses while the Defense listed at least 45.
The four Articles of Impeachment transmitted by the House of Representatives to the Senate in May are: 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.
The Senate Impeachment Court will decide on the following:
- Whether or not respondent VP Duterte is guilty of Culpable Violation of the Constitution, Graft and Corruption, and Betrayal of Public Trust under Article I of the Articles of Impeachment;
- Whether or not she is guilty of Culpable Violation of the Constitution and Betrayal of Public Trust under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment;
- Whether or not she is guilty of Bribery, Graft and Corruption, Culpable Violation of the Constitution, and Betrayal of Public Trust under Article III of the Articles of Impeachment; and
- Whether or not she is guilty of Culpable Violation of the Constitution, High Crimes, and Betrayal of Public Trust under Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment.
The House of Representatives in May voted to impeach VP Duterte. Out of 318 members, 257 voted for impeachment, 25 voted against and nine abstained. Only 106 votes are needed to meet the constitutional requirement of 1/3 to impeach an official.
Of 61 Mindanawon district representatives in the House, 41 voted to impeach Duterte, eight voted no, seven did not participate (DNP), four abstained while one was the Presiding Officer.
Mindanawon prosecutors, senator-judges
Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro, chair of the House Committee on Justice, leads the 11-member Prosecution panel, three of whom are Mindanawons:
Bukidnon’s 2nd district Representative Jonathan Keith Flores, Cagayan de Oro City 1st district Rep. Lordan Suan, and Dinagat Islands Lone Representative Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao.
Flores abstained during the impeachment vote in May.
All three Mindanawon prosecutors are lawyers. The 11-member Prosecution Panel has eight lawyer-Representatives.
The Prosecution Panel’s spokesperson is also a Mindanawon: Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.
Three senator-judges are from Mindanao: Christopher Lawrence Go of Davao City, Ronald dela Rosa of Davao del Sur, now a fugitive following the issuance of a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court; and Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate Majority Leader.
Like Bukidnon’s 1st district Rep. Flores, Zubiri’s wife, 3rd District Rep. Audrey, also abstained during the impeachment vote. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)
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