Camp of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Speaks on Possible Senate Impeachment Trial
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President’s camp said she’s ready to attend the Senate impeachment trial if she will be summoned to appear.
Following the House Justice panel unanimously voting to take the impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Duterte to the plenary, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson claimed that the impeachment trial may begin in June. According to the Senator, the process that leads to the trial may take around three (3) weeks.
Lacson also cited that the process will include the sending out of summons and the response, the possible “marking of evidence”, and the preliminary conference for the stipulation. Senate President Tito Sotto previously claimed that he has already given a heads up to some majority senators over the possible impeachment trial.
According to Sotto, it was a dinner and not a caucus with some majority senators. He also previously claimed that he has received guidance from his justice friends with regards to the impeachment trial.
After one impeachment trial was set aside by the House Committee on Justice and the other withdrawn by the complainants, two (2) impeachment raps against the Vice President proceeded to impeachment hearings. Here are some of the grounds raised against Duterte:
- 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
Following the House Justice panel ruling to find a probable cause to impeach Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, based on News5, her camp assured that they are ready to cooperate with the Senate if the impeachment proceeds to a trial. The confirmation came from the spokesperson of Duterte’s legal team, Atty. Michael Poa.
Based on the post, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is ready to attend the Senate impeachment trial if she will be summoned to appear before the chamber. Currently, the impeachment moves against the Vice President is set to be voted upon in the plenary.
Previously, the Vice President’s brother, Davao Congressman Paolo Duterte, claimed that bribes allegedly start to take place in the House with regards to the impeachment moves against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.
Following four (4) impeachment hearings, the House justice panel found the following:
- Detainee Ramil Madriaga’s account of disbursing P125 million worth of confidential funds of the Vice President within 24 hours with cash deliveries in Laguna, Quezon City, and the Office of the Ombudsman
- Madriaga signing a bank waiver to prove that he has nothing to hide
- Madriaga alleging that the Vice President’s election campaign may have been financed by Pharmally which has been linked to anomalous government procurement
- the Commission on Audit (COA) revealing that the notice of disallowance on the P73 million confidential fund in 2022 was upheld by the COA commission proper
- The NBI representatives testifying on signatures in the acknowledgment receipts of recipients of confidential funds
- COA’s Gloria Camora, a lawyer of COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office, confirming that COA also issued three notices of disallowance on three releases of confidential funds for the OVP in 2023 worth P125 million each or P375 million in total
- the testimonies of various resource persons, regarding the “envelopes” and the questionable receipts, and other statements
- the Philippine Statistics Authority testifying that recipients of confidential funds, such as Mary Grace Piattos, Milky Secuya, and Kokoy Villamin do not have records in the country’s civil registry
- the Vice President not declaring any cash on hand or in bank under her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth from 2019 to 2024
- the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report flagging P6.7 billion worth of bank transactions of the Vice President and her husband, Manases Carpio, as covered and suspicious transactions from 2006 to 2025, with inflow standing at P4.425 billion and outflow at P1.55 billion
- the AMLC report revealed that there is a derogatory record for the Vice President and her husband
- the AMLC report showing that Vice President was the subject of suspicion in 27 confidential reports dated August 2, 2024 to January 29, 2026 due to suspected activities involving drug trafficking and related offenses, graft and corrupt practices, and malversation of public funds and property in connection with the House Quad Committee hearing on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, news reports alleging the involvement of the Vice President’s husband in the P6.4 billion shabu importation in 2017 and the news reports on the Vice President’s alleged misuse of confidential funds
- the AMLC report showing that her husband, Atty. Carpio, as subject of suspicion in 17 confidential reports from September 14, 2017 to April 25, 2025 due to suspected activities involving drug trafficking and related offenses, and malversation of public funds and property “in connection with the news reports on alleged his involvement in the PP6.4 billion shabu importation in 2017 and news articles in relation to his wife, VP Sara’s, alleged misuse of confidential/intelligence funds”
- the AMLC confirmation that at least 18 bank transactions linked to Vice President Sara Duterte and her family members, as cited in the affidavit of former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, match records of covered and suspicious transaction reports
- the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) findings that the video of a press conference showing Vice President Duterte making a threat to kill President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his family members in certain circumstances constitutes inciting to sedition and three counts of grave threat, among others.