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'Address the chair': VP Sara defense counsel called out for court rule violation
Philippines
National
'Address the chair': VP Sara defense counsel called out for court rule violation
'Address the chair': VP Sara defense counsel called out for court rule violation
Published Jul 7, 2026 11:58 am
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Updated Jul 7, 2026 10:55 pm
At A Glance
- Lawyer Sheila Sison was twice called out by Senator Escudero and Rep. Diokno for violating impeachment court rules by directly questioning the prosecution.
- Escudero reminded counsels to address the chair, while Diokno accused Sison of assuming the court's powers; Sison insisted her queries were directed to the presiding officer.
- Rep. Luistro defended her motion for the reading of the four articles of impeachment and for the Vice President to enter a plea, saying it was consistent with Senate rules.
From left: Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno, lawyer Sheila Sison, Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero (Senate PRIB)
It wasn't exactly a spotless Senate impeachment court debut for lawyer Sheila Sison, lead defense counsel of respondent Vice President Sara Duterte, on Monday, July 6.
This, after both the presiding officer, Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero; and prosecutor, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno called her out for an impeachment court rule violation.
It all started when Sison challenged lead prosecutor, Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro's motion for the four articles of impeachment to be read and for the respondent to enter a plea of "guilty" or "not guilty".
Sison asked if Luistro was proposing that the Vice President--who wasn't present Monday--be arraigned.
The two sides tried to air their arguments simultaneously and speak over each other. This prompted Escudero to bang his gavel as he said, “Let this not be a debate between the counsels.”
Then, in reference to Sison, Escudero said, “Counsel for respondent, kindly make your comments and avoid asking questions from the counsel of the prosecution.”
Escudero subsequently directed the two sides to “address the chair with respect to anything and everything they want or wish to say and not to address each other".
Minutes later, it was Diokno who clashed with the Vice President’s lead lawyer.
This happened after Sison asked if the prosecution was ready to present its first witness on the first day of the impeachment trial.
Addressing himself to the presiding officer, Diokno said, “I noticed that your honor has already directed the counsel for the defense not to propound questions to the prosecution.”
“This is already the second time she has done that. She appears to be assuming or arrogating the powers of the court, because I understand that under the rules, it is only the court that can propound questions to the counsels,” the Akbayan lawmaker said.
In response, the feisty Sison said she was addressing her query to the presiding officer, and even called for the transcript to be checked.
Escudero noted the remarks of both counsels and told Sison that the impeachment court “will get to that (presentation of witnesses) later".
He also told Diokno and Sison to "move on'" with the proceedings.
Luistro justified her proposal for each of the four articles of impeachment and for the Vice President to enter a plea, saying it was "very much consistent with the Senate rules on impeachment".
“Sa pagbasa po ng articles of impeachment, she will be informed of the accusations against her bago pa po siya sumagot whether she’s guilty or not guilty,” she noted.
(Upon the reading of the articles of impeachment, she will be informed of the accusations against her before she answers whether she is guilty or not guilty.)
“There is a possibility that the plea of the respondent to each and every article of impeachment will be different from one another,” added the Batangueña.