Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

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/1784778386688thumbnail-F7m3y2hyWVI-1280x720 (2).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">One of the prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday stressed that the popularity of the second-highest official does not give her a free pass to commit a crime<em>. 📷༘ Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News &amp; Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — One of the prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday stressed that the popularity of the second-highest official does not give her a free pass to commit a crime.</p><p>Duterte has maintained a significant support from the public, with a recent Pulse Asia survey suggesting that <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/20/marcos-approval-trust-ratings-decline-as-sara-duterte-keeps-majority-support-pulse-asia-1459">56 percent of Filipinos</a> approved of her performance. She has also emerged as an <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/22/sara-duterte-is-preferred-presidential-bet-in-may-2028-polls-pulse-asia-1629">early favorite for the 2028 presidential elections</a>.</p><p>Duterte is facing several accusations in her impeachment trial at the Senate, and one of which is her alleged grave threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his relatives. She and her lawyers denied the allegations.</p><p>&quot;Yung pagiging popular, justification ba yan, na yung isang taong nagbanta sa buhay ng kapwa tao niya maja-justify yun just because the person is popular? Hindi eh, kaya may batas tayo,&quot; Amando Ligutan, counsel for prosecutors, told ANC.</p><p>&quot;Hindi justification ang fact na binoto ka ng tao with this number of votes na pupuwede mo nang gawin yung mga bagay na sa tingin ng batas is criminal,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Having a famous family name will give you a free pass? Hindi po justification yung having a popular family name.&quot;</p><p>On Tuesday, Duterte&#x27;s defense counsel, Mark Vinluan, even <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1WJm9WY4uw">presented a June survey</a> by the Social Weather Stations showing Duterte&#x27;s 57 percent support among Filipinos to challenge the prosecution&#x27;s allegation that she betrayed the public&#x27;s trust.</p><div><br/></div><div><b>BETRAYAL OF PUBLIC TRUST</b></div><p>Ligutan meanwhile said it would be enough grounds to remove Duterte from office if the impeachment court finds her to have committed a crime for her alleged threats.</p><p>&quot;Yung tanong if it amounts to a crime and then enough ba yan to remove? My goodness, yes. I mean paano natin maja-justify, assuming yung scenario now is she’ll be found guilty of a crime. Would we be okay with having a criminal for a president? Yun yung issue doon,&quot; Ligutan said.</p><p>&quot;Mas mataas yung threshold ng crime compared to yung impeachment which is betrayal of public trust. Kung maabot na yung threshold ng crime, the more reason that that person should also be removed from office for having committed a crime.&quot;</p><p>Duterte is fighting allegations she misused her confidential funds, issued grave threats against Marcos, amassed unexplained wealth, and bribed government officials.</p><p>In addition to being removed from her post, Duterte&#x27;s possible conviction may also carry the permanent ban from holding any public office.</p><p>Prosecutors need to secure a guilty verdict on at least one article of impeachment from two-thirds of all members of the 24-seat Senate to convict Duterte. Failure to do so will result in her acquittal.</p><p>Duterte has said that her impeachment case is politically motivated.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</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/VuoGWjwHjsI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><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/X2BAeKvB7Nc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><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/kdi_cX8zhEI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>One of the prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday stressed that the popularity of the second-highest official does not give her a free pass to commit a crime.</p>

One of the prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday stressed that the popularity of the second-highest official does not give her a free pass to commit a crime.

'May batas tayo': Sara Duterte popularity doesn't give her free pass to commit crime, prosecutor says

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'May batas tayo': Sara Duterte popularity doesn't give her free pass to commit crime, prosecutor says

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 23, 2026 11:49 AM PHT

Read More:

Amando Ligutan

Sara Duterte

Impeachment Trial

Senate Trial

Sara Duterte Trial

Senate

Impeachment

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