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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Sumagot ka sa Senado': Tolosa renews challenge to VP Duterte after SC ruling

'Sumagot ka sa Senado': Tolosa renews challenge to VP Duterte after SC ruling

Published Aug 7, 2026 05:26 am

At A Glance

  • Private prosecutor Benjamin "Jay" Tolosa Jr. urged Vice President Sara Duterte to answer allegations before the Senate impeachment court after the Supreme Court dismissed petitions against the House proceedings.
  • Tolosa stressed that the SC ruling only confirmed the proper forum, not Duterte's guilt or innocence, and noted she has yet to personally attend after 13 hearing dates.
  • Duterte faces impeachment charges over the alleged misuse of P612.5 million confidential funds, false asset declarations, unexplained wealth, and threats against President Marcos and other officials.
Vice President Sara Duterte (left), Private prosecutor Benjamin "Jay" Tolosa Jr. (Facebook)
Vice President Sara Duterte (left), Private prosecutor Benjamin "Jay" Tolosa Jr. (Facebook)


Private prosecutor Benjamin "Jay" Tolosa Jr. has reiterated the prosecution panel's months-old challenge for Vice President Sara Duterte to answer the allegations against her before the Senate impeachment court.
This, after the Supreme Court (SC) dismissed all petitions challenging the House of Representatives' impeachment proceedings against her, which led to her ongoing impeachment trial in the upper chamber.
Tolosa, also a spokesperson for House panel of prosecutors, says the SC ruling leaves no question as to where Duterte should present her defense.
“So what’s clear now is that the proper forum is now the impeachment court,” Tolosa said during an online press briefing Thursday, Aug. 7.
“If the Vice President has answers, she must present them here before the impeachment court. If she has evidence, she must show it here,” the lawyer added.
Respondent Duterte has yet personally attend the trial after 13 hearing dates.
Day 13 was last Wednesday, Aug. 5. News of the SC's ruling broke out shortly after the Senate impeachment court adjourned Wednesday’s hearing.
House prosecutors have been daring Duterte to surface in the trial even before it formally began last July 6.
At any rate, Tolosa stressed that the high court’s ruling neither resolved the impeachment charges nor determined Duterte’s guilt or innocence.
“So let us be very precise about what this is and what it is not. This is not yet a judgment on the guilt or innocence of the Vice President. It’s not a ruling on the merits of the issues which are now before the Impeachment Court,” he said.
Bid to stop impeachment process failed
He noted that the petitions were dismissed due to mootness because the acts sought to be restrained had already been completed after the House approved and transmitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
“Nakita natin, sinubukan nila na pigilan ang pagtakbo ng proseso sa [SC] Ngayon maliwanag na those did not become successful,” Tolosa said.
(We saw that they tried to stop the process in the SC. Now it is clear those did not succeed.)
“Nasa Senado na ang kaso, dito na po sila sumagot ngayon,” he added.
(The case is now in the Senate, and this is where they must respond.)
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 impeachment trial Senate Benjamin Tolosa Supreme Court
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