Philippines Senate Pretrial Continues in Vice President Sara Duterte Impeachment

Lawyer Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. questioned the reliability of Anti‑Money‑Laundering Council (AMLC) records cited in the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the data contain errors and that “it’s not really an apples‑to‑apples comparison.” He argued that large transaction figures may be the result of banking glitches rather than actual unexplained wealth.

Meanwhile, the vice president’s defense team asserted it has sufficient manpower to mark evidence for the Senate pre‑trial conference, countering claims from the House prosecutors that they lack personnel. Defense lawyer Mark Vinluan said, “It was actually the private prosecutors who lacked the personnel to mark the exhibits,” and stressed the need for both sides to participate in the evidentiary marking. The pre‑trial, now in its third day, remains incomplete for articles covering alleged misuse of confidential funds and accumulation of unexplained wealth, with the Senate trial scheduled to begin on 6 July 2026.

The impeachment charges include misuse of confidential funds, alleged bribery of Department of Education officials, accumulation of unexplained wealth, and claims that Duterte threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta‑Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.