Marilyn Cahatol

The Senate of the Philippines, sitting as an impeachment court, listens to the oral arguments presented by the House prosecution panel—led by Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno—on the issuance of a subpoena to the Bureau of Internal Revenue to open a box containing the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte, during the sixth day of the impeachment proceedings on July 15, 2026.   Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

VP Sara Impeachment

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/178411513936520260715-senat-vp-sara-impeachment-day6-MT16.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="The Senate of the Philippines, sitting as an impeachment court, listens to the oral arguments presented by the House prosecution panel—led by Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno—on the issuance of a subpoena to the Bureau of Internal Revenue to open a box containing the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte, during the sixth day of the impeachment proceedings on July 15, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Senate of the Philippines, sitting as an impeachment court, listens to the oral arguments presented by the House prosecution panel—led by Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno—on the issuance of a subpoena to the Bureau of Internal Revenue to open a box containing the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte, during the sixth day of the impeachment proceedings on July 15, 2026. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — House lead impeachment prosecutor Gerville Luistro, representative of Batangas&#x27; 2nd District, hopes senator-judges can separate the upcoming testimony of National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial from issues outside it.</p><p>Matibag is scheduled to testify before the Senate Impeachment Court on Tuesday regarding the impeachment article accusing Duterte of committing grave threats against the President, the First Lady, and the former House Speaker.</p><p>During the Wednesday impeachment proceedings, Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano called Matibag’s announcement of an <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/7/14/nbi-launches-probe-into-alleged-irregularities-in-2019-sea-games-infrastructure-projects-2232">NBI probe</a> into alleged anomalies in infrastructure projects for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games an <a class="fr-green fr-strong" 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">attempt to “intimidate” him.</a></p><p>Cayetano was chair of the organizing committee for the games.</p><p>Matibag did not mention Cayetano in a video of his announcement that Sen. Pia Cayetano had played before the impeachment court.</p><p>“I hope that they will be able to distinguish between the issue raised earlier, and the fact of Atty. Melvin Matibag testifying on Tuesday,” Luistro said.</p><p>&quot;These are two different concerns. I wish to believe  the senator judges will be able to separate these concerns.&quot;</p><p>After <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/prosecution-drops-more-witnesses-on-impeachment-article-on-grave-threat-1739">dropping a number of witnesses </a>for the impeachment article on grave threats due to “surplusage, redundancy, and lack of necessity”, Luistro said she expects the prosecution to finish presenting its evidence before Christmas.</p><p>“Para masaya ang Pasko nating lahat,” she added.</p><p>(So we can all have a happy Christmas.)</p><p>Iloilo 3rd District Rep. Lorenz Defensor, a member of the prosecution team, attributed the length of the proceedings to the defense&#x27;s cross-examination of witnesses.</p><p>“Kung dalawa o tatlong oras ulit ang pag-cross examine sa mga susunod naming testigo, sigurado akong Valentine’s Day tayo matatapos,” he said.</p><p>(If their cross-examination will again run for two, three hours for the next witnesses, I am sure we will not be done before Valentine&#x27;s Day.)</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/senate-duterte-bank-tax-records-impeachment-trial-1706">Impeachment court to decide on bid to open Duterte bank, tax records on Monday</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F1zrI7-kDpo?si=a4_VSgPt5bBxqjCy" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>House lead impeachment prosecutor Gerville Luistro, representative of Batangas' 2nd District, hopes senator-judges can separate the upcoming testimony of National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial from issues outside it.</p>

House lead impeachment prosecutor Gerville Luistro, representative of Batangas' 2nd District, hopes senator-judges can separate the upcoming testimony of National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial from issues outside it.

Luistro hopes senator-judges can separate Matibag’s testimony from other concerns

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Luistro hopes senator-judges can separate Matibag’s testimony from other concerns

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 15, 2026 08:25 PM PHT

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Updated July 15, 2026 10:30 PM PHT

Read More:

House prosecution

impeachment trial

Sara Duterte

Duterte impeachment

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