Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson Speaks on Possible Impeachment Trial of VP Sara Duterte
PING LACSON – The Senate President Pro Tempore said that the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte may begin in June.
The camp of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte said that the decision of the House Committee on Justice over the impeachment complaints against the Vice President is “not unexpected”. With a unanimous voting, the panel found probable cause to impeach the Vice President.
The Vice President is faced with two (2) impeachment raps that were found by the House Justice Committee as sufficient in form, substance, and grounds. Here are some of the grounds raised against the Vice President:
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount over PHP 500 million confidential funds (CF) allocated to the Office of the Vice President from 2022 to 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount of not less than PHP 112.5 million of confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the year 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by corrupting and bribing officials of the DepEd
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in contracting to murder or assassinate the president, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her SALN
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in committing acts of  political destabilization and the high crimes of sedition and insurrection
Atty. Michael Poa, Duterte’s lawyer, said that they are ready to show that the Vice President is not corrupt. He also previously stressed that the Vice President is not obliged to attend the impeachment hearing. She skipped four (4) impeachment hearings.
Now that the impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is set to move to the plenary, based on News5, the Senate is also expected to convene as an impeachment court by June 2026. This was claimed by Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson.
According to Sen. Ping Lacson who is also the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, the trial proper will likely begin weeks after the Articles of Impeachment are transmitted. Undeniably, the impeachment moves against the Vice President has reached a critical stage.
Based on the post, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson also said that the process before the start of the impeachment trial may take three weeks. The process will include the sending of summons and the reply, the preliminary conference for the stipulation, and the possible “marking of evidence” before the start of the trial.
Previously, Senate President Tito Sotto admitted that he has met with some majority senators over the possible impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.