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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Luistro warns Senate of Pinoy outrage if VP Duterte trial gets delayed

Luistro warns Senate of Pinoy outrage if VP Duterte trial gets delayed

Published Jun 8, 2026 11:59 pm

At A Glance

  • Rep. Gerville Luistro has warned the Senate that Filipinos would be enraged if Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial is delayed amid the leadership dispute between Sherwin Gatchalian and Alan Peter Cayetano.
  • She cites survey results showing 74 percent of Filipinos strongly want the trial to proceed.
  • Luistro emphasized that unresolved issues on threats, confidential funds, bribery, and unexplained wealth must be tested in a constitutional forum, with pre-trial set for June 15 and trial opening on July 6.
Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro (PPAB)
Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro (PPAB)


House prosecution panel leader, Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro has warned the Senate that the Filipino people would be enraged if Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial gets swamped by delays.
This, as the impasse between Senate blocs loyal to either Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano continues in the upper chamber.
“Magagalit ang mga tao. ‘Yun ang klaro (The people will get angry. That much is clear),” Luistro said in a press conference Monday, June 8, in reference to possibilities of delays to the trial amid the Senate leadership squabble.
Gatchalian has been named Acting Senate President by his colleagues, while Cayetano believes he remains the legitimate Senate President.
Luistro pointed to public sentiment supporting the continuation of the impeachment trial, saying the case cannot remain unresolved while the Senate remains preoccupied with its internal issue.
“Because the survey already shows the supermajority of the Filipino people who are waiting for this trial. From my last recollection, 74 percent ng mga Pilipino ang gustong-gustong matuloy na itong impeachment trial na ito (74 percent of Filipinos strongly want this impeachment trial to proceed),” Luistro stressed.
According to the Batangueña, the articles of impeachment sent by the House of Representatives to the Senate deal with issues that have remained unanswered, thus it is high time for Duterte to finally be tested in a constitutional forum.
“And remember, the allegations in the present articles of impeachment are the same allegations in the articles of impeachment back in the 19th Congress. Ibig sabihin (This means that), we are dealing with the same questions on threat, confidential funds, bribery and unexplained wealth, which means simula ng 19th Congress hanggang sa oras na ito wala pa pong naririnig na kasagutan ang sambayanang Pilipino,” she explained.
(From the start of the 19th Congress until now the Filipino people have not yet heard any answers.)
“So to your question kung anong magiging consequence, kung anong magiging reaction ng mga tao, certainly from my end, magagalit ang mga Pilipino if we keep on delaying this impeachment trial,” Luistro further said.
(So to your question kung anong magiging consequence, kung anong magiging reaction ng mga tao, certainly from my end, magagalit ang mga Pilipino if we keep on delaying this impeachment trial.)
Duterte, the second highest official of the land, was first impeached on Feb. 5, 2025 via the constitutional fast-track mode in House plenary. However, the Senate failed to carry out an impeachment trial immediately, and the case was ultimately declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (SC).
She was impeached by the House for the second time on May 11, 2026. On the same day, a coup d'etat at the Senate led to the installation of Cayetano as Senate President.
The Senate convened as an impeachment court under Cayetano on May 18.
Last June 3, just before the die adjournment of the first regular session of the 20th Congress, Gatchalian became the Acting Senate President in another coup d'etat.
Pre-trial for Duterte's case has been set on June 15, while the first day of actual trial will be on July 6.

Related Tags

Sara Duterte IMPEACHMENT Senate Alan Peter Cayetano Sherwin Gatchalian Gerville \"Jinky Bitrics\" Luistro Delay
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