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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Cebu lawyer: Prosecuting VP Duterte is a badge of honor

Cebu lawyer: Prosecuting VP Duterte is a badge of honor

Published Jun 12, 2026 08:00 am

At A Glance

  • Lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan joins the House panel as one of 10 private prosecutors in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial.
  • He calls it an honor to help convict Duterte, dismissing online attacks as part of the duty.
  • Duterte faces charges of fund misuse, false asset filings, unexplained wealth, and issuing death threats.


Lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan considers it an absolute badge of honor to be given the opportunity to convict respondent Vice President Sara Duterte in her upcoming Senate impeachment trial.
Ligutan cherishes this so much that he doesn't mind the fake news, online ridicule, and personal attacks coming his way, which he expects comes with the territory of his newfound task.
Ligutan, managing partner of SALiGAL Law in Cebu, was among the 10 private prosecutors that Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro announced Thursday, June 11 were joining the House prosecution panel in the impeachment trial.
“The hate that we will encounter and or experience, that is expected. But it is nothing compared to the honor that this obligation that we are fulfilling, the honor that it brings,” Ligutan said during the press conference presided by Luistro on Thursday.
The lawyer earlier stood as counsel of the complainants in one of the four impeachment raps filed against Vice President Duterte this year.
Now, he has the chance to be credited for the potential conviction of the second highest official of the land. If convicted, the twice-impeached Duterte will be unseated as Vice President and barred from holding public office for life.
That why Ligutan and the rest of private prosecutors expect the worst of online bashings ahead of the high-stakes trial.
“Wala po ‘yan—’yung magiging pambabastos, ‘yung fake news, ‘yung mga memes that will be [created to attack] us (That’s nothing—the insults, the fake news, the memes that will be created to attack us)—it’s nothing compared to the honor of making sure that those that must be held accountable should be held accountable no matter the case that you are the vice president of the Republic of the Philippines,” he said.
Luistro said during the presser that private prosecutors like Ligutan offered their services pro bono, or for free.
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.

Related Tags

Sara Duterte IMPEACHMENT Private prosecutors impeachment trial Gerville \"Jinky Bitrics\" Luistro Amando Virgil Ligutan Honor Cebu
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