Rowegie Abanto

Vice President Sara Duterte. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Vice President Sara Duterte announces her intention to run for the presidency in the 2028 national elections during a press conference at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) headquarters in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Duterte outlines her priorities, including governance reforms, public service continuity, and national development. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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VP SARA DUTERTE

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177856954146420260218-vp-sara-duterte-presidency-MT4.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Vice President Sara Duterte. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Deans and professors of law schools in the Philippines urged the Senate not to delay the convening of the impeachment court that will try Vice President Sara Duterte.</p><p>The Vice President was impeached by the majority of the House of Representatives for a second time over accusations she misused her office&#x27;s confidential funds, issued threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family, and amassed questionable wealth.</p><p>The Senate is <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/7/senate-has-duty-to-take-up-possible-sara-duterte-impeachment-lawyers-say-1150">constitutionally required</a> to conduct a trial following an impeachment, but that mandate is now in question as senators allied with Duterte took control of the chamber.</p><p>In a <a href="https://x.com/RanhilioAquino/status/2053833388575064124">letter Monday</a> following the impeachment of Duterte, around 26 heads and teachers of law schools in Metro Manila and provinces issued a statement to remind the senators of their duty under the 1987 Constitution.</p><p>&quot;[R]efusing to sit as a Court of Impeachment is not a constitutional option,&quot; said the legal educators that include Adolfo Azcuna, one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution. </p><p>They also said: &quot;[R]efusal of public officers to perform a duty imposed by law, particularly by the Constitution, constitutes dereliction of duty that is administratively actionable and conferring an undue advantage and benefit on a person not entitled to it is an indictable criminal offense under Republic Act No. 3019.&quot;</p><p>The statement added pressure to the growing call for Senate to avoid a repeat of the 2025 impeachment of Duterte when the chamber waited some four months before it convened as an impeachment court.</p><div><strong>FILIPINOS TOLD TO KEEP EYE ON IMPEACHMENT</strong></div><p>The professors saw the Senate coup, which installed Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as the chamber&#x27;s president, as a &quot;brazen attempt&quot; of some senators to block the impeachment trial of Duterte, an allegation that Cayetano denied.</p><p>They meanwhile lauded &quot;the courageous&quot; House members who had voted to impeach Duterte. Some 257 lawmakers voted to elevate the impeachment case to the Senate, which is mandated by the charter to immediately launch a trial.</p><p>The statement also urged Filipinos to check &quot;the faithful compliance by all public officers of their sworn duty to uphold the Constitution and to abide by the Rule of Law.&quot;</p><p>Cayetano vowed that the Senate would <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/11/cayetano-says-senate-will-follow-law-constitution-on-duterte-impeachment-2054">follow the law and the Constitution</a> in tackling the impeachment complaint against the Vice President, amid concerns that the chamber could vote to dismiss the case.</p><p>Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro on Tuesday warned that dismissing the impeachment case of Duterte at the Senate could trigger an intervention by the Supreme Court.</p><p>Luistro, who endorsed the articles of impeachment against the Vice President, said that dismissal by the Senate could invite petitions before the Supreme Court that would compel the chamber to do its job.</p><p>&quot;There is no option not to convene. The only option is to convene, and on a legal perspective, if they don&#x27;t convene, to my mind, this is a proper subject matter of a petition for mandamus,&quot; Luistro said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong><strong>S</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jXZWyzC2LRo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f6AvocSANtI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Deans and professors of several law schools in the Philippines on Monday urged the Senate to not delay the convening of the impeachment court that will try the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte.</p>

Deans and professors of several law schools in the Philippines on Monday urged the Senate to not delay the convening of the impeachment court that will try the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Law deans, professors add pressure on Senate to begin Sara Duterte trial

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Law deans, professors add pressure on Senate to begin Sara Duterte trial

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 12, 2026 03:18 PM PHT

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Updated May 12, 2026 10:01 PM PHT

Read More:

Gerville Luistro

Senate

Supreme Court

Impeachment

Sara Duterte

Sara Duterte Impeachment

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