Today is the seventh day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on article 4 of the Articles of Impeachment.
All eyes are on the Senate impeachment court as the senator-judges vote on whether or not to grant the prosecution’s request to open the tax and bank records of Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio.
5:51 p.m. - The Senate impeachment trial court is adjourned and will resume on Tuesday, July 21, 2 p.m.
5:51 p.m. - NBI Director Melvin Matibag will be presented tomorrow Tuesday, July 21, 2026. He is the last witness under article 4 or alleged threats.
5:40 p.m. - Escudero adds that the issuance of a subpoena is merely preliminary and procedural and does not authorize the disclosure of tax records into evidence. He says the subpoena for the tax records is granted.
5:38 p.m. - Escudero says the court is unconvinced by the respondent's argument that the issuance of subpoena will usurp the authority of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
5:29 p.m. - To summarize, Escudero says: The request for subpoenas directed to the concerned banking institutions covering the accounts of respondent, Atty. Manases Carpio, separately or jointly, the partnership of Carpio lawyers and 19 listed corporate entities is granted. The banks are ordered to submit to the clerk of court the documents on July 30, 2026 at 9 a.m.
5:16 p.m. - The court also grants the request for subpoena against the partnership of Carpio lawyers, but with reservation.
5:13 p.m. - Escudero also overrules the objection of the defense regarding the separate and joint bank records of Atty. Manases Carpio with his wife, VP Duterte.
5:10 p.m. - Escudero overrules the defense's objection on the requested period from 2007 to 2021.
5:08 p.m. - Escudero points out that this is not the first time that bank records are examined in an impeachment trial. He says that the Senate granted the request of the prosecution for bank records during the Corona trial.
5:07 p.m. - Escudero: Court finds that the requested documents meet the requirements set forth above—they are reasonably described, readily identifiable, prima facie relevant and material to the allegations under article 2.
5:02 p.m. - Escudero says he will now make a ruling.
4:58 p.m. - Poa says there is a fishing expedition because the prosecution cannot even pinpoint what transaction and when the VP supposedly amassed unexplained wealth.
4:55 p.m. - Diokno to Cayetano: If we bring your honor’s logic to it’s conclusion, that would mean the Committee on Justice would have to conduct a full blown trial, get all the evidence at that level so that we do not have to fish anymore when we get to this court, when that is not the contemplation of the procedure for impeachment under the Constitution.
4:52 p.m. - Cayetano: If you cannot connect AMLA and the bank accounts, that is precisely what the defense and other people are saying. Aren't you fishing between the three? Fishing means hindi mo pa hawak so you're trying to get a fish.
4:42 p.m. - Poa says they are contesting AMLC's alleged unlawful disclosure of Duterte's records during the House of Representatives' hearings.
4:40 p.m. - Cayetano: We want fairness for everyone and for the Filipino people. But would it be unfair to require 20 years of documents from AMLA, BIR, and bank accounts from Vice President Sara without requiring the same from President Bongbong considering that all of the scandals is happening during his administration?
Diokno says if the complaint against Marcos had ultimate facts, he does not see any reason why it can't proceed.
4:37 p.m. - Cayetano recalls the impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Ang katotohanan ay hindi confidential. So why in the case of President Marcos is the katotohanan confidential, but in the case of Vice President Sara it is not confidential.
Diokno says the complaint against Marcos did not allege ultimate facts.
4:32 p.m. - Diokno asserts that the articles of impeachment have both ultimate and evidentiary facts. Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano then asks if the Saballa and Cabrera impeachment complaints do not have authentic records attached when filed. Diokno raises an issue and asks if the impeachment court is acting as an appellate or review court on what happened in the House of Representatives proceedings.
4:31 p.m. - Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano references the Duterte v. House of Representatives case in asking the parties if an impeachable offense should be within the respondent's term.
Diokno insists that the impeachable offense goes beyond their term, arguing the portions of the case are obiter dictum and not binding on the present case.
Poa disagrees, insisting that the said portions are not obiter dictum, citing the Supreme Court decision that triggered the one-year bar of Duterte's impeachment.
4:07 p.m. - Trial resumes.
4 p.m. - The Senate impeachment trial court takes a break. Session will resume at 4:05 p.m.
3:45 p.m. - Poa points out that transactions do not equate to wealth and do not equate to net worth.
3:41 p.m. - Diokno maintains that there is no fishing expedition because there is basis for alleging unexplained wealth and that is the testimony and documents presented by the AMLC executive director during the hearing of the House of Representatives' Committee on Justice. During the hearing, AMLC said P6.7B went through the bank accounts of Duterte from 2007 to present, while from 2007-2013, more than P3B passed through her accounts.
3:36 p.m. - Diokno explains the ultimate facts mentioned in the articles of impeachment. He says ultimate facts are factual elements of a party's claim or defense. Diokno says they were able to satisfy the requirement in alleging ultimate facts.
Ultimate Facts alleged in Article II in the Articles of Impeachment.
Photo courtesy: Senate
3:25 p.m. - Diokno mentions that the Supreme Court has previously ruled that when it comes to unexplained wealth, the entire income of a public official should be seen. Poa replies that the case Diokno brought up does not involve impeachment, and that the SC decision on Duterte vs House of Representatives says impeachable offenses are offenses committed during the time a public officer occupied an impeachable office.
3:19 p.m. - Poa says Stonehill v Diokno applies to the proceedings because the subpoena should be specified and relevant. He argues that a subpoena is intrusive because it will open up all financial records and in the case of the Vice President, the prosecution is asking for almost 20 years of records. Poa reiterates that their theory is bolstered that there is a fishing expedition because "they are asking for everything."
3:14 p.m. - Diokno says evidence gathered through a search warrant is already considered evidence by the court. A subpoena is different because records produced are not yet considered as evidence. Diokno also says Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, when he was presiding officer in the Corona impeachment trial, pointed out that a subpoena will only produce the documents; admissibility will be determined after. According to Diokno, they have met the standards of relevance and materiality.
3:09 p.m. - Senator-judge Pia Cayetano: 'Di kaya invasive din 'yung paghalughog ng records?
3:08 p.m. - Senator-judge Pia Cayetano asks both the prosecution and the defense if the Supreme Court decision on Stonehill v. Diokno is applicable to the matter before the impeachment court. Diokno says the main issue in the Stonehill v. Diokno is about a search warrant, which he says is indeed invasive. But what the impeachment court is discussing right now is a subpoena, which is only asking for documents and is not a license to enter any office or place.
2:59 p.m. - Villanueva: Indeed, confidentiality is an important legal protection pero hindi rin po ito dapat maging dahilan naman para manatiling mailap po ang pananagutan. Ang mabuting batas ay kayang pangalagaan ang privacy nang di nasasakrispisyo ang accountability. Our law must be able to protect both.
2:58 p.m. - Villanueva asks the defense if there is a legal distinction between the disclosure of information to the general public and the limited production of records to the impeachment court. He also asks if Poa would agree that the court can impose safeguards on the use and disclosure of records. Poa says they are not against transparency and accountability, but this does not mean that rights should be disregarded. He repeats that Section 8-A is an absolute prohibition.
2:51 p.m. - Villanueva says Section 8-A of the Anti Money Laundering Act prohibits the disclosure of confidential information, but does not expressly create an absolute privilege against a subpoena. Poa replies that even though the impeachment court is a constitutional body, it cannot go over and above the Constitution. And when you read the Constitution, he says it goes hand in hand with the Bill of Rights which guarantees due process. Poa also says that for the defense, Section 8-A is an absolute prohibition because no exemption was specified here.
2:43 p.m. - Diokno says the subpoena is the only way to get the documents and that it is not intrusive because what is only needed at this point is to produce the documents.
2:41 p.m. - Counsel for the defense Atty. Michael Poa, however, says they still oppose the issuance of the subpoenas because the requests lack definiteness and relevance.
2:39 p.m. - Senator-judge Joel Villanueva asks Rep. Chel Diokno, a member of the panel of prosecutors, if the issuance of a subpoena only compels the production of records and is not tantamount to recognizing the records as admissible.
Diokno: Ang hiling lang mailabas ang ebidensya, wala pa tayo sa punto kung tatanggapin ang evidence na 'yun.
2:34 p.m. - Senator-judge and presiding officer Francis Escudero makes a ruling. He says Padilla's manifestation shall remain in the court's records and asks the indulgence of the parties because Congress is not yet in session and this is the only time senator-judges have to speak. Escudero points out, however, that the proper forum to discuss allegations against senator-judges is during session which will resume next week.
2:30 p.m. - According to Cayetano, Rule 6 says the provisions of the law of the Senate and the revised Rules of Court shall apply suppletorily and whenever applicable. He points out that in the Rules of the Senate if a senator-judge is threatened, he can rise on a point of personal and collective privilege.
Senator-judge Francis Pangilinan rebuts this, says Rule 6 of the impeachment rules refers to evidence and not privileged speeches. He adds that the liberality of the court should not be abused.
2:20 p.m. - Senator-judge Vicente Sotto III: I do not have four years of law, but I have 29 years of lawmaking. And I move that the manifestations that we have heard be referred to the Senate proper.
2:19 p.m. - Cayetano: We consider Senator Marcoleta and Senator Jinggoy political prisoners. Weaponized ang Blue Ribbon Committee.
2:16 p.m. - Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano says he is happy that Tulfo is concerned about the justice or injustice to the Vice President. He also comments on the waste of time mentioned by Tulfo.
Cayetano: Regarding the waste of time here, sabi ni Senator Joker, it is useless to argue a legal point with a non-lawyer.
2:13 p.m. - Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo questions the use of the impeachment court's time on matters not involving the impeachment.
Tulfo: Kung gusto niyo pong mag-esplika sa inyong saloobin o problema, maaari niyong gawin 'yan sa labas po ng oras ng impeachment court. Maaari pong sa press conference, maaari rin po sa Facebook o sa YouTube magpaliwanag. Huwag po nating gamitin ang oras ng impeachment court sa pagpapaliwanag o sa pagtatanggol ng ating mga sarili simula pa po noong nakaraang linggo. Because the time we waste here to defend ourselves, defend what we believe or what have you, is an injustice to the Vice President. This is not the right forum.
2:10 p.m. - Senator-judge Robinhood Padilla delivers his manifestation, says he has filed his counter-affidavit in response to the obstruction of justice complaint against him for allegedly helping Senator Ronald Dela Rosa escape the Senate last May 14, 2026.
Padilla also belies the statement of Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla last week that he "chose to ignore the Ombudsman."
2:03 p.m. - 20 senator-judges are present; chair declares a quorum.
2 p.m. - Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros leads the court in prayer.
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