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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider LOOK: Pre-trial conference for VP Sara's impeachment trial starts

LOOK: Pre-trial conference for VP Sara's impeachment trial starts

Published Jun 18, 2026 10:27 am

At A Glance

  • The Senate impeachment court formally opened the pre-trial conference for the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte on June 18, with Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. and deputy clerks presiding over the meeting.
  • The House prosecution panel, led by Gerville Luistro, and the defense team headed by Michael Poa participated in the preliminary conference.
  • According to Poa, the pre-trial conference includes the stipulation of facts to streamline proceedings and ensure an orderly process before the senator-judges formally convene the impeachment court.
The Senate impeachment court on Thursday, June 18, formally began the pre-trial conference for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
(Senate PRIB photo)
(Senate PRIB photo)
Senate Secretary and Clerk of Court Renato Bantug Jr., alongside Deputy Clerks of Court Atty. Marivic Laurel-Garcia and Atty. Maria Valentina Cruz, presided over the preliminary meeting.
The prosecution panel from the House of Representatives, led by Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, attended the conference.
This includes Reps. Terry Ridon, Ramon Gutierrez, Ysabel Zamora, Lorenz Defensor, Chel Diokno, Leila De Lima, Keith Flores, Lordan Suan, and Joel Chua; along with private prosecutors Lorna Kapunan, Marforth T. Fua, Erwin Matib, James Bryan Ibrahim Alih, and Amando Ligutan.
The defense team, headed by Atty. Michael Poa, representing Vice President Duterte, also sat down with the panel during the meeting.
In a chance interview, Poa said that part of what will take place is the stipulation of facts to ensure that the process is more orderly and organized.
"It's just a normal process," he said.
The pre-trial serves as the initial gathering of both panels before the senator-judges formally convene the impeachment court.

Related Tags

Vice President Sara Duterte Impeachment complaint Senate impeachment court
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