Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

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/178271245860720260518-senate-impeachment-court-MT1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senators formally convene as an impeachment court to try the complaints filed against Vice President Duterte at the Senate in Pasay City on May 18, 2026. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The country’s second highest official will be tried, for the first time, by the Senate sitting as an impeachment court beginning July 6th.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/29/a-week-before-impeachment-trial-ovp-reports-strong-budget-utilization-1307">A week before impeachment trial, OVP reports &#x27;strong budget utilization&#x27; in 2025</a></div><p>Vice President Sara Duterte is the first Philippine official impeached twice by the House of Representatives, and the fifth to face an impeachment trial.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>IMPEACHMENT PROCESS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The 1987 Constitution has given Congress power to remove from office through the impeachment process some of the country’s highest officials, who could be convicted of culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.</p><p>These officials include the President, the Vice-President, members of the Supreme Court, members of the Constitutional Commissions, and the Ombudsman.</p><p>Unlike regular legal procedures, members of Congress decide on impeachment proceedings, not court judges. Proof beyond reasonable doubt is also not a requirement for conviction, but the process should abide by the constitutional requirements.</p><p>Impeachment has two stages: (1) initiation, which the lower chamber of Congress or the House of Representatives has the sole power to do, and (2) trial, which is the exclusive power of the upper chamber of Congress or the Senate.</p><p>Last May 11th, the first stage of the impeachment proceedings against Duterte was completed, when 257 congressmen voted to impeach her. That figure is more than the at least one-third of House members required by the Constitution.</p><p>In the second stage of the impeachment process, the threshold for conviction is at least two-thirds of all Senate members.</p><p>Senators convened the impeachment court last May 18th, and took an oath to be impartial in performing their duty as senator-judges in Duterte’s trial.</p><p>Under the Senate rules, the impeached official shall be called to answer the articles of impeachment against her, and enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. She may appear in person or send a counsel. If the official fails to do either, the Senate impeachment court shall still proceed with the trial, as if a not guilty plea was entered.</p><p>It shall have the power to compel the attendance of witnesses, and punish contempt or disobedience to its orders.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PROSECUTORS, DEFENSE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Since the House of Representatives filed the articles of impeachment before the Senate, the prosecution panel is composed of House members. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/29/ted-te-3-others-among-new-private-prosecutors-in-duterte-impeachment-trial-1318">Ted Te, 3 others among new batch of private prosecutors in Duterte impeachment trial</a></div><p>They may be assisted by private lawyers, who entered their appearance as private prosecutors, but the latter will still be under the supervision of the House prosecutors.</p><p>Duterte, meanwhile, will be defended by her own counsels.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The articles of impeachment against the Vice President accused her of culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, and betrayal of public trust.</p><p>It has four articles: alleged confidential funds misuse; alleged unexplained wealth and failure to declare all assets and business interests in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or (SALN); alleged bribery of Department of Education officials; and allegedly contracting to assassinate the President, the First Lady and the former House Speaker.</p><p>The articles of impeachment asked the Senate impeachment court to remove Duterte from office and impose upon her perpetual disqualification from holding any position in the government.</p><p>Duterte’s camp asserted there was no misuse of confidential funds, and the articles of impeachment failed to show ill-gotten or hidden wealth.</p><p>They added grave threats and political destabilization allegations are founded upon statements “taken out of context” and interpretations.</p><p>Duterte’s camp further criticized the lower chamber’s impeachment process, and tagged the articles of impeachment as “constitutionally infirm, procedurally defective, at substantively deficient.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SENATE IMPEACHMENT COURT’S VOTE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Only when the trial of all the articles is completed shall senator-judges vote on whether the impeachment is sustained. They will each be called separately to answer whether they find the official guilty or not guilty on every article of impeachment.</p><p>If at least two-thirds of all Senate members vote guilty on even one article, it will result in a conviction. But if not a single article receives the required votes, the official will be acquitted.</p><p>Motions to reconsider the vote on any article of impeachment are prohibited.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PAST IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Since 1987, five Philippine Presidents, one Vice President three Chief Justices, two Ombudsmen, and three officials of the Commission on Elections faced impeachment complaints, based on information gathered by ABS-CBN’s Research and Verification Unit.</p><p>But only five were impeached by the House of Representatives, including Duterte.</p><p>Of that number, only one was convicted by the Senate Impeachment Court: former Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was found guilty of failure to declare all his assets in his SALN.</p><p>Former President Joseph Estrada’s impeachment trial in 2001 at the Senate did not reach the voting stage after he stepped down amid protests known as EDSA II.</p><p>The resignations of former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez in April 2011 and former Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista in 2017 also halted their respective impeachment trials from proceeding.</p><p>Despite these incidents, there are views that the Senate impeachment court may still proceed with the trial even after an impeached official resigns, to resolve the prayer seeking disqualification from holding any public office.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></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/7QlEA4FEoJw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Unlike regular legal procedures, members of Congress decide on impeachment proceedings, not court judges.</p>

Unlike regular legal procedures, members of Congress decide on impeachment proceedings, not court judges.

EXPLAINER: What happens during an impeachment trial

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EXPLAINER: What happens during an impeachment trial

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 29, 2026 02:04 PM PHT

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Updated June 29, 2026 05:05 PM PHT

Read More:

House of Representatives

Impeachment

VP Sara Duterte

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