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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Impeachment trial should continue even if VP Sara resigns--prosecution

Impeachment trial should continue even if VP Sara resigns--prosecution

Published Jul 6, 2026 12:20 pm

At A Glance

  • The House prosecution panel asserts that Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial must proceed even if she resigns, emphasizing that resignation does not erase accountability.
  • Prosecutors seek two constitutional penalties upon conviction: Duterte's removal from office and her perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
  • Lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr. stresses that resignation does not moot the case, citing Supreme Court precedent and pointing to the gravity of allegations involving billions in financial transactions and confidential funds.
Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)
Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)


The House prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte's Senate impeachment trial insists that the proceedings must continue even in the event that the respondent resigns from her post.
“The trial will continue, the trial must continue because the resignation does not automatically condone the acts committed,” prosecution team spokesperson Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said in a press conference at the Senate on Monday morning, July 6.
The presser was held just hours before the scheduled first day of the trial against the second highest official of the land.
Adiong said that as far as the House of Representatives was concerned, Duterte was already impeached, and that the next constitutional step was for the Senate to "try and decide".
The penalties for conviction that are being sought by the prosecution are Duterte’s removal as vice president and her perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
Last Feb. 18, Vice President Duterte announced that she was running for president in the 2028 national elections. Five days later, the House initiated impeachment proceedings against her based on four verified and duly-endorsed complaints.
Duterte was then overwhelmingly impeached by the House plenary on May 11.
Responding to a reporter's question, Adiong said the impeachment will not have been "wasted" even if Duterte resigns in the middle of the proceedings.
“Resignation is an option given to all public officers, either appointed or elected...Accountability should not be made as an optional issue,” he said.
Lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr., one of the private prosecutors in the impeachment trial, says the question assumes that resignation would terminate the case, but the prosecution’s position is that impeachment carries two constitutional penalties.
Tolosa cited a Supreme Court (SC) ruling in an administrative case where resignation did not end proceedings. “The resignation does not render the entire proceedings moot dahil again mayroon pang other penalties (because there are other penalties)."
He said the principle should apply even more strongly in Duterte’s impeachment case, given the gravity of the allegations.
“Here we’re talking about billions of financial transactions, hundreds of millions of confidential funds,” said Tolosa, also a prosecution panel spokesperson.

Related Tags

Sara Duterte Resign RESIGNATION IMPEACHMENT Senate impeachment trial Zia Alonto Adiong Benjamin Tolosa
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