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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House prosecutors carry out formalities as VP Sara impeachment trial draws near

House prosecutors carry out formalities as VP Sara impeachment trial draws near

Published May 18, 2026 09:06 pm

At A Glance

  • The House prosecution panel formally entered its appearance before the Senate impeachment court on May 18.
  • The panel named Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro as lead prosecutor, joined by 10 other lawmakers including Terry Ridon, Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez, Ysabel Maria Zamora, Lorenz Defensor, Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno, Leila de Lima, Arlene "Kaka" Bag-ao, Jonathan Keith Flores, Lordan Suan, and Joel Chua.
  • Prosecution team spokesperson Rep. Renee Co stressed that impeachment case must proceed at once
Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB)
Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB)


It's almost time.
The 11-strong House prosecution team in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impending impeachment trial formally entered its appearance before the Senate impeachment court at 5:32 p.m. Monday, May 18--the same day the senator-judges took their oath and convened as a tribunal.
The “formal entry of appearance” was personally filed before the Senate impeachment court by House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil on behalf of the congressmen-prosecutors.
The filing signaled the House’s readiness to proceed with the historic impeachment trial after it voted 257-25-9 (yes-no-abstain) last May 13 to impeach Duterte for the second time in two years and transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
Read the three-page pleading, “The undersigned members of the House of Representatives, duly elected by the House of Representatives as members of the prosecution panel, respectfully enter their appearance as Public Prosecutors."
It named House Committee on Justice Chairperson and Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro as lead public prosecutor. It stated that all court processes would be furnished through the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives.
“It is, thus, respectfully requested that, henceforth, all copies of all pleadings, resolutions, decisions, notices, and other processes of this Honorable Court be furnished to the Lead Public Prosecutor, Representative Gerville R. Luistro,” the prosecutors said in the filing.
The pleading was signed by Luistro and fellow public prosecutors Reps. Terry Ridon (Bicol Saro Party-list), Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list), Ysabel Maria Zamora (San Juan City lone district), Lorenz Defensor (Iloilo 3rd district), Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno (Akbayan Party-list), Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Party-list), Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao (Dinagat Islands lone district), Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon 2nd district), Lordan Suan (Cagayan de Oro 1st district), and Joel Chua (Manila 3rd district).
Ridon, in a statement to House reporters Monday, thanked the senators for convening the Senate impeachment court for the trial of the controversial Vice President, who was also impeached in 2025.
"The House prosecution panel will comply with all orders, directives, and processes of the impeachment court, and we are ready to present the evidence before the impeachment court in the coming days," he said.
Vice President Duterte's conviction via impeachment trial is being sought over her offices' alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds; untruthful declarations in the filing of her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth; unexplained wealth; and death threats to President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez.
Proceed at once
One of the spokespersons of the prosecution panel, House Assistant Minority Leader and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co underscored the "forthwith" or immediate nature of the impeachment trial.
"The impeachment must proceed at once. It is a disservice to the Filipino people if the impeachment hearing is delayed any longer," Co said.
The lawyer-lawmaker from the Makabayan bloc alluded to the recent intramurals and upheavals in the Senate, but underscored that these shouldn't affect the impeachment process.
"Hindi dapat mahadlangan ng anumang gulo sa Senate leadership ang proseso ng impeachment. Oras na ng pananagutan, hindi ng simpatiya o pamumulitika," Co said.
(Any turmoil in the Senate leadership should not hinder the impeachment process. It is a time for accountability, not sympathy or politicking.)
"Maling ipaghiwalay ang kalam ng sikmura ng taumbayan at ang pagpapanagot sa mga kurakot. Public service and accountability go hand in hand in the pursuit of justice. Maiibsan lamang ang gutom ng mamamayan kung inilalagay sa tama ang pondo na galing sa tax natin," reckoned the militant solon.
(It is wrong to separate the hunger of the people from holding the corrupt accountable. Public service and accountability go hand in hand in the pursuit of justice. The people’s hunger will only be eased if funds from our taxes are placed where they rightfully belong.)
"Iisa lang ang panawagan ng taumbayan, pagulungin na ang impeachment, pagulungin na ang mga kurakot!" Co said.
(There is only one call from the people: push forward with the impeachment, push forward against the corrupt!)

Related Tags

senate impeachment trial Impeachment Sara Duterte Prosecution panel
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