Jonathan Frederic De Santos

The House prosecution panel, the defense team, and senator-judges during the oral arguments in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The proceedings center on legal issues raised before the impeachment court. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Agatha Gregorio

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/1784118530520748787048_1026805129753111_5732014902923723697_n.png.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The House prosecution panel, the defense team, and senator-judges during the oral arguments in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The proceedings center on legal issues raised before the impeachment court. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Discussions turned heated on the sixth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte—but not because of the prosecution or defense panels.</p><p>Instead, senator-judges, particularly siblings Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano, stood up in the impeachment court to speak out against the National Bureau of Investigation&#x27;s announced probe into the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, calling it an attempt to intimidate the court.</p><p>Alan Peter Cayetano served as chairman of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee during the country&#x27;s hosting of the 2019 SEA Games.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/-binabawasan-talaga-kami-iniisa-isa-cayetano-says-2019-sea-games-probe-aims-to-intimidate-him-1433"><strong>‘Binabawasan talaga kami, iniisa-isa’: Cayetano says 2019 SEA Games probe aims to ‘intimidate’ him</strong><br/></a></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:514px;height:832px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2077275689875816907&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-07-15T11%3A31%3A01.594026%3A37c8347f-53dc-484b-ace4-2c960630e0e5%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=07d0341df56be90b54ba2fde00c252a718a7a847&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2077275689875816907"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>The exchange spilled over into a brief break after Pia Cayetano moved that a video of NBI Director Mevlin Matibag announcing the investigation be played before the impeachment court.</p><p>Shortly after presiding officer Francis Escudero announced a recess, Pia Cayetano was heard asking fellow senators, “Payag ba tayo (Will we let this happen)?”</p><p>Sen. Loren Legarda, a member of the minority bloc with the Cayetanos, replied: “Tama ka (You are right).”</p><p>Pia Cayetano then remarked, “My God, he’s a witness.”</p><p>Matibag has been subpoenaed to appear before the impeachment court next week.</p><p>During the recess, Sens. Alan Peter Cayetano and Francis Pangilinan separately approached Escudero, although the substance of their conversations could not be heard.</p><p>When the session resumed, Pia Cayetano raised doubt on the purpose behind Matibag&#x27;s public announcement of the investigation.</p><p>“What’s the purpose? Is he trying to intimidate us not to ask him tough questions when he is our resource person next week? I do not know… For how many years akong tumayo dito, hindi ako nanggaganti. Hindi ako mababaw,” Cayetano said.</p><p>Her last two statements drew nods from Sen. Robinhood Padilla, also with the minority bloc.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>DISCUSSIONS ON SUBPOENA REQUEST</strong></div><p>Members of the minority bloc also appeared aligned on another issue—the prosecution&#x27;s request for subpoenas covering the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) records of Vice President Duterte and her husband, as well as their bank records and records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).</p><p>Following the oral arguments of both parties, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano suggested postponing a decision on the request, anticipating that several senator-judges would still want to ask questions.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/senate-duterte-bank-tax-records-impeachment-trial-1706"><strong>Impeachment court to decide on bid to open Duterte bank, tax records on Monday<br/></strong></a></div><p>Escudero declined the suggestion and instead called for another recess so the senator-judges could convene in caucus.</p><p>Soon after, five senators from the minority bloc—Alan Peter Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Robin Padilla, Bong Go, and Imee Marcos—were seen conversing.</p><p>Only portions of the discussion were audible, including Senator Marcos saying, “May bank records. May BIR… Matagal pa ‘yan.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>MEMBERS OF DEFENSE APPROACH KAPUNAN</strong></div><p>After lead defense counsel Atty. Sheila Sison described a manifestation by prosecution counsel Atty. Lorna Kapunan as &quot;laden with conclusions,&quot; several members of the defense panel were seen approaching Kapunan.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/senate-impeach-court-bars-prosecution-defense-from-remarks-on-withdrawing-witnesses-1930"><strong>Senate impeach court bars prosecution, defense from remarks on withdrawing witnesses<br/></strong></a></div><p>During the hearing, Sison asked that conclusions of fact and interpretations of law be excluded from the prosecution&#x27;s manifestation regarding the withdrawal of certain witnesses, citing Kapunan&#x27;s statement during Tuesday&#x27;s proceedings.</p><p>The request received support from some senator-judges.</p><p>Several senators, however, also took the opportunity to express their respect for the veteran lawyer while agreeing with Sison&#x27;s procedural point.</p><p>After the trial adjourned, Sison herself approached Kapunan and shook her hand.</p><p>Vice President Duterte&#x27;s counsel, Atty. Michael Poa, also approached Kapunan following the adjournment of the proceedings.</p>

<p>Discussions turned heated on the sixth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte—but not because of the prosecution or defense panels.</p>

Discussions turned heated on the sixth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte—but not because of the prosecution or defense panels.

Heated discussions on Matibag, BIR subpoena spill over into impeachment trial break

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Heated discussions on Matibag, BIR subpoena spill over into impeachment trial break

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 15, 2026 08:45 PM PHT

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Senate

Sara Duterte

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