Sara Duterte impeachment trial faces criticism over delays and rhetoric

Legal experts and prosecution counsel have raised concerns regarding the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in the Philippines. Former law dean Judd Roy III urged both the prosecution and defense to avoid unnecessary delays and “publicity stunts,” advising lawyers to focus on disputed evidence rather than playing to the crowd to maintain public interest.

Simultaneously, prosecution counsel Lorna Kapunan criticized the Vice President for contributing to a “culture of violence.” Kapunan cited Duterte’s past remarks regarding hiring assassins as an indicator of this trend, linking such rhetoric to broader societal issues following recent school shootings in Zamboanga and Tacloban.