After delivering a forceful opening statement that framed the case as a test of constitutional boundaries, due process, and the prosecution’s burden of proof, lawyer Sheila Sison is expected to remain a central figure in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial as proceedings resume on Tuesday, July 7.

The Senate impeachment trial resumes at 2 p.m. today. It is expected to move the impeachment court closer to the evidentiary phase, when House prosecutors may begin presenting witnesses and documents in support of the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.

Sison, who leads Duterte’s defense team, said the first day of the impeachment trial on July 6 “went well,” describing the proceedings as similar to regular courtroom work but with greater public scrutiny.

“Wala naman pinagkaiba sa normal na trabaho naming bilang mga abogado kapag kami ay pumupunta sa mga korte (There is really no difference from our usual work as lawyers when we go to court),” Sison said in an interview after the first day of the trial was adjourned.

“Siguro, ang pinakamalaking pinagkaiba lang nito ay napapanood ng lahat (Perhaps the biggest difference is that everyone can watch),” she added.

Despite drawing attention for her courtroom performance, Sison downplayed descriptions of her as the “star” of the impeachment trial.

“Hindi naman kasi ang impeachment ay hindi tungkol sa mga abogado — this is about accountability and saying the truth sa ating mga kababayan lalo na kung sa tingin natin ay may kailangan tayong malaman (Impeachment is not about the lawyers — this is about accountability and telling the truth to our fellow Filipinos, especially when we believe there is something they need to know),” she said.

Despite her years of legal experience, the Senate trial marks Sison’s first impeachment case.

She acknowledged that she is still adjusting to the public spotlight and the pressure that comes with a high-profile proceeding. “Hindi po ako sanay (I am not used to it),” she said.

Sison said she approaches the impeachment trial with the same sense of duty that guides her regular legal work.

“Ako po, sa araw-araw, katulad ng lahat ng ordinaryong abogado na kailangan magtrabaho at may responsibilidad para sa kanyang kliyente, ginagampanan ko po at ginagawa ko yung kailangan kong gawin araw-araw (Every day, like any ordinary lawyer who has to work and carry responsibilities for their client, I fulfill and do what I need to do),” she said.

“Kaya yung confidence, yung kung ano man, tingin ko kailangan pinagta-trabahuhan natin lahat (That is why confidence, or whatever it may be, is something I believe we all have to work on),” she added.

Sison is a litigator at Fortun Narvasa & Salazar and was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2014.

According to her law firm profile, she specializes in criminal litigation and also handles civil litigation, family law, appellate practice, labor law, mining law, and corporate law.

She earned a degree in Communication Arts, major in Writing, from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. She later completed her law degree at San Sebastian College of Law–Recoletos as a full Academic Scholar of the Recoletos Order.

Her law firm named her “Lawyer of the Year” for five consecutive years, from 2015 to 2019.

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As the Senate impeachment trial resumes, attention is expected to remain on how Sison and Duterte’s defense team translate their opening arguments into objections, cross-examinations, and challenges to the prosecution’s evidence.

The Sara Duterte impeachment trial Day 2 hearing is expected to provide an early indication of whether the defense will focus primarily on procedural and constitutional objections, factual rebuttals, or both.

Sison is expected to continue emphasizing the defense’s position that impeachment is not merely a political exercise but a legal and constitutional process that must comply with evidentiary rules and due-process safeguards.

In her opening statement on Monday, Sison argued that while public officials must be held accountable, the same constitutional standards apply to House prosecutors seeking Duterte’s removal from office.

“If we’re invoking the accountability measure under Section 1, Article 11 that applies to all public officers, that’s not something that I have invented,” she said. “Nandun po yun, nakasulat sa ating Saligang Batas (It is there; it is written in our Constitution),” she added.

The defense lawyer said accountability must be paired with fairness, warning against efforts to shape public opinion before the prosecution’s evidence is formally tested in the Senate impeachment court.

Sison’s Day 1 statement indicated that Duterte’s legal team will closely examine the prosecution’s evidence, particularly allegations involving the Office of the Vice President’s use of confidential funds.

She argued that the prosecution must establish its accusations through evidence that is admissible, credible, relevant, material, and competent. She also stressed that the burden of proof remains with the prosecution throughout the proceedings.

“The burden of proof never shifts,” Sison said. “He who accuses must prove his allegations with evidence,” she added.

The defense is also expected to maintain that the Senate, acting as the impeachment court, has the sole constitutional authority to try and decide impeachment cases.

Sison criticized the House Committee on Justice’s earlier proceedings, which she described as a “mini-trial” that allegedly went beyond the House’s constitutional role of initiating impeachment complaints.

One of the major issues expected to surface during the impeachment trial involves allegations related to the Office of the Vice President’s use of confidential funds.

Sison has signaled that the defense will dispute claims that the release and liquidation of confidential funds automatically establish wrongdoing.

She argued that the funds underwent a documented approval process involving the Department of Budget and Management and the Office of the President.

In her opening statement, Sison also noted that the Commission on Audit decision cited by the prosecution remains subject to legal remedies, including a pending motion for reconsideration.

If House prosecutors present witnesses or documents related to confidential funds on Day 2, the defense is expected to question the evidentiary basis of the allegations, the status of the Commission on Audit proceedings, and whether the evidence directly proves misuse of public funds.

Sison also cited the Supreme Court ruling in Duterte v. House of Representatives, which she said found that earlier impeachment proceedings were tainted by grave abuse of discretion.

The ruling is expected to remain a key part of the defense strategy as Duterte’s lawyers seek to persuade senator-judges that the impeachment proceedings must be assessed not only through the lens of political accountability but also constitutional compliance.

Sison told the impeachment court that Duterte, an elected vice president who received more than 32 million votes, can only be removed from office through a process that meets the highest legal and constitutional standards.

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