DAY 6: Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Today is the sixth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on article 4 of the Articles of Impeachment. The trial’s sixth day will deviate from the previous hearings to focus on high-stakes oral arguments over whether to open her confidential bank, tax, and anti-money laundering records.
5:36 p.m. - Trial is adjourned at 5:34pm.
5:35 p.m. - Luistro manifests that it was not the intention of the prosecution to abuse the court's time or influence senator-judges or the public. She says the explanation was only a statement of the position for withdrawing the names of witnesses.
5:33 p.m. - Atty. Sheila Sison, lead counsel for the respondent, requests that no conclusions of fact or interpretation of law be mentioned when either party withdraws a certain witness so as not to affect the balance of the impeachment court.
5:13 p.m. - Escudero says the court will first finish the presentation of the prosecution for all articles before the counsels for the respondent present their evidence in chief for all the articles. The court will then decide per article after the formal offer of evidence and final arguments.
5:10 p.m. - The impeachment court grants the request for subpoena to the three witnesses on confidential funds.
5:09 p.m. - The prosecution will move on to Article 1 or confidential funds on Wednesday, July 22, and will present their first three witnesses -- one from the Legislative Archives Museum of the House of Representatives, and two Landbank employees.
5:07 p.m. - Matibag will testify on Tuesday, July 21. He will be the last witness for article 4.
5:06 p.m. - Lead House prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro says they will no longer present the following witnesses for Article 4 or grave threats: Representative of the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office Journalists Mikhail Flores and Bonz Magsambol who participated in the Nov. 23, 2024 press briefing Sheriff Abe Andres Family member of a victim of threats Psychiatrist who will testify on the respondent's state of mind.
5:02 p.m. - Escudero says each senator-judge who wants to ask questions will be given 10 minutes on Monday.
5:02 p.m. - Escudero says senator-judges agreed during the caucus to decide on the request for subpoenas on Monday, July 20, to give them time to look into the complicated matter.
5:00 p.m. - Trial resumes.
3:32 p.m. - Poa, in his rebuttal, says they are not saying that the Vice President cannot be punished if she committed a wrongdoing; cases can be filed against her. What the counsel for the respondent is pointing out is the cases filed should be limited to impeachable offenses.
3:26 p.m. - Senator-judge and presiding officer Francis "Chiz" Escudero announces a recess as they go into caucus.
3:23 p.m. - Poa says, "No one is above the law, but no one should also be deprived of the protection given by laws."
3:22 p.m. - Poa, in his rebuttal, says they are not saying that the Vice President cannot be punished if she committed a wrongdoing; cases can be filed against her. What the counsel for the prosecutor is pointing out is the cases filed should be limited to impeachable offenses.
3:18 p.m. - Diokno says it is easy to say that a document is confidential, but what the impeachment court is looking for is the truth. He ends by saying that confidentiality should not be the prevailing principle in the proceeding, and that the truth is not confidential.
3:13 p.m. - Diokno, in his rebuttal, says the issuance of a subpoena will not deprive Duterte of any form of due process. He points out that they are not yet in the stage where evidence is put to trial or offered to the court.
3:10 p.m. - Poa also cites rules/laws on prohibiting the disclosure of financial records.
3:08 p.m. - Poa also says the request of the prosecution is fatally overbroad because an impeachable offense is an act committed when a public official is occupying an impeachable office, as stated in the decision of the Supreme Court on Duterte vs the House of Representatives.
3:06 p.m. - Poa argues that the Saballa and Cabrera complaints accuse the VP of amassing unexplained wealth but does not have a single attachment of Duterte's financial records. He says it was only after the complaints were filed that the House committee searched for evidence to support the accusations. Poa says, "In our legal system, it is not permitted to accuse now and then just look for proof later on. That is not how due process works."
3:02 p.m. - Poa says a subpoena ceases to be an instrument of justice when it becomes a weapon of a fishing expedition.
3:01 p.m. - Poa says the issue is not whether the impeachment court possesses the power to issue a subpoena for the said records, the real issue is whether such power may be exercised in a manner that disregards due process and compels the production of documents and information beyond what is allowed by law.
2:58 p.m. - Atty. Poa proceeds with his oral argument.
2:55 p.m. - Diokno points out that framers of the 1987 Constitution added betrayal of public trust as a ground for impeachment.
2:47 p.m. - Diokno argues that the Constitution has vested the impeachment court with extraordinary powers, which is why the statement of the defense that it does not have authority to scrutinize these records is "not only legally flawed," but is also an affront to the court.
2:45 p.m. - Diokno says the truth will be revealed by scrutinizing the bank, BIR, and AMLC records of the VP and her husband. "Mailalahad ang buong katotohanan tungkol sa mga alegasyon sa article 2 ng Articles of Impeachment. Una na pinayaman ni Bise Presidente ang kanyang sarili nang labis-labis.. na mayroon siyang mga ari-ariang hindi idineklara sa kanyang Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth... na nakibahagi siya sa negosyo, directly or indirectly, kahit ipinagbabawal ito ng ating Konstitusyon."
2:40 p.m.- Atty. Michael Wesley Poa, the defense team's spokesperson, will represent the counsels for the respondent.
2:39 p.m. - Akbayan Partylist Rep. Chel Diokno will represent the prosecution team for the oral arguments.
2:38 p.m. - The oral arguments today will be about the prosecution's request for subpoena of the BIR records of the VP and her husband, and the request for subpoena for their banks and AMLC records.
2:35 p.m. - Matibag is scheduled to appear before the impeachment court on Monday, July 20, in relation to Article 4 or the alleged grave threats made by Vice President Sara Duterte.
2:32 p.m. - Senator-judge Pia Cayetano says she is bothered by the announcement of Matibag that they are investigating the SEA games, says there is no jurisdiction in the world that allows a judge to be pressured and intimidated.
2:30 p.m. - Cayetano to NBI Director Melvin Matibag: “Director, you didn’t knock us down. So don’t try to knock down this representation or this impeachment court because what you’re doing is not helping. You want to investigate why I grew a beard, investigate it. No problem with me. But don’t announce it anymore because it’s affecting the integrity of the court."
2:28 p.m. - Cayetano says, "To be accepted by the Filipino people we have to make sure the integrity of the court is intact. I will admit to you nahihirapan po ako. Wala si Senator Marcoleta eh."
2:25 p.m. - Cayetano says the accusation against him is a "marites accusation" that affects the impeachment court because he is a senator-judge. "Binabawasan talaga kami. Iniisa-isa."
2:24 p.m. - Cayetano says, "Doon sa sinasabi niyang infrastructure, it was done by the BCDA. The Chairman of the BCDA is one of the closest advisers of the President now. The President of the BCDA is one of the closest advisers and is a secretary now." "And he said medyo kaduda itong kompanya na nanalo walang bidding. If I’m not mistaken it’s the same company whose making the city hall of Pasig ha. So I mean if they want to investigate, go ahead, but by mentioning the organizing committee of the SEA games ako po chairman nun at paninindigan ko po na napakaganda ng nangyari doon at kung may anomalya, ako ang unang magagalit," he adds.
2:18 p.m. - Cayetano says, "I just want to put on record mukhang misfire. 'Yung sinasabi niyang infrastructure na walang bidding, first of all the procurement law has many modes of procurement so don't make it appear sa public na just because walang bidding, may anomalya na 'to. Secondly, bakit ko sinabing misfire? I'm referring to Director ng NBI Matibag. I had nothing to do with the infrastructure, the chairman of the committee."
2:14 p.m. - Senator-judge Alan Cayetano speaks up on the SEA games investigation. "The chilling effect is there but am I intimated? Wala na kong choice. Ilalaban ko na ‘to. Gagawin ko 'yung dapat kong gawin. Bumaligtad man ang sitwasyon, si President Marcos ang ini-impeach and I felt a certain way, ilalaban ko rin... Go ahead and investigate. First of all, that has been investigated many, many times."
2:11 p.m. - Senator-judge Robinhood Padilla is recognized for his manifestation. He asks if senator-judges should be concerned because of the cases and investigation against some of them. Padilla cites the investigation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano was chairman of the organizing committee then. Padilla says, "Dapat po ba kaming mangamba at tayo po ay parang eksakto naman lahat ito? Di ba po tayo ay malayang korte? Tayo po ay may karapatan na binibigay ng Konstitusyon na magsagawa po ng pagdinig na ito."
2:03 p.m. - 19 senator-judges are present. Chair declares a quorum.
2:02 p.m. - Day 6 of the impeachment trial begins. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian leads the prayer.
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