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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Ang kawawa dito si VP Sara': Erwin Tulfo hopes impeachment trial ends before Christmas

'Ang kawawa dito si VP Sara': Erwin Tulfo hopes impeachment trial ends before Christmas

Erwin

Published Jul 18, 2026 12:48 pm  |  Updated Jul 18, 2026 01:42 pm

At A Glance

  • Sen. Erwin Tulfo said he hopes the Senate impeachment court can finish Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial before Christmas, saying prolonged proceedings unfairly prolong uncertainty for the Vice President and her family.
  • Tulfo urged senator-judges to keep the trial focused on the impeachment charges, agreeing with Sen. Panfilo Lacson that some manifestations have been irrelevant and have unnecessarily delayed the proceedings.
  • Tulfo said the impeachment complaint should be dismissed if prosecutors fail to present strong and concrete evidence, while stressing that the court should continue to follow existing laws on issues such as access to Duterte's BIR records.
Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo on Saturday, July 18, said he hopes the Senate impeachment court can conclude the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte before Christmas, as he stated that a protracted proceedings would only prolong uncertainty for the respondent and her family.
Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo (Senate PRIB photo)
Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo (Senate PRIB photo)
In a interview on DZMM radio, Tulfo said the impeachment court should remain focused on the issues directly related to the case to avoid unnecessary delays.
"Kailangan po niya ng hustisya as soon as possible. Hindi po yung patagalin natin hanggang Christmas. Kung pwede nga po before Christmas para ika nga, tapos na po ito. Mahirap po kaya magpa-Pasko na ikaw ay may kaso (She needs justice as soon as possible. We shouldn't drag this out until Christmas. If possible, we should finish it before Christmas. It's difficult to celebrate Christmas when you have a case hanging over you)," Tulfo said.
He stressed that the impeachment trial should center solely on the allegations against Duterte, saying the proceedings were created specifically to determine whether the Vice President should remain in office.
Tulfo said that the trial has been moving slowly.
"Ang kawawa po dito, si VP Sara at ang kanyang pamilya, siyempre po, yung anxiety, di po ba. Yung ika nga pinag-uusapan. Siyempre, apektado po yung kanyang mga anak. Mahirap po yun (The ones who are really pitiful here are Vice President Sara and her family. Naturally, they're dealing with anxiety because of everything that's being said. Of course, her children are affected as well. That's difficult)," he said.
"Let us not forget that this is an impeachment court. This court was established...for one thing and one thing only, for the impeachment trial of the Vice President. Forum ito ng Vice President. Oras po ito ng Vice President (This is a forum for the Vice President. This is her hour)," he added.
Tulfo echoed the earlier observation of fellow senator-judge Panfilo Lacson that some manifestations made during the trial have been irrelevant and have consumed valuable hearing time.
"Irrelevant? Meron, marami. Medyo tumagal kaya naubos ang oras natin (Yes, there were quite a lot. It took a while, and that ate up our time)," he said when asked about "irrelevant" manifestations.
According to Tulfo, both the prosecution and the defense should limit their presentations to matters directly related to the four Articles of Impeachment.
"It is very, very unfair for the Vice President. This is her hour. This is her forum... the more na tatagal itong hearing (the more this hearing drags on), 'justice delayed is justice denied,'" he said.
Tulfo also reiterated his view that if prosecutors fail to present convincing evidence against Duterte, there would be no reason to prolong the trial.
"Kung wala po talagang sala, bakit pa namin patagalin? Kung wala naman talagang kongkreto o malakas na ebidensya, bakit kailangan pang patagalin pa?... Kung sa akin, pananaw ko po kung wala namang maipresinta na maayos na ebidensya eh i-dismiss (If she truly has no wrongdoing, why should we drag this out? If there really isn't any concrete or strong evidence, why prolong the proceedings?... In my view, if no credible evidence can be presented, then the case should be dismissed)," he said.
On the House prosecution panel's request to subpoena Duterte's financial records, Tulfo said he would first hear the explanations of fellow senator-judges before voting when the matter is taken up on Monday.
He likewise maintained that the Vice President's Bureau of Internal Revenue records cannot be opened unless authorized by Duterte herself or by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in accordance with existing law.
"Di naman po tayo dapat lumayo sa sinasabi ng batas (We should not stray from what the law says)," Tulfo said.

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Erwin Tulfo Vice President Sara Duterte impeachment trial Ping Lacson
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