The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is set to resume at the Senate on Monday, November 9, with the defense expected to begin presenting its witnesses and evidence to counter the allegations against her.
The proceedings will mark the start of the defense's presentation after the House prosecution panel formally rested its case following 39 trial days.
The Senate impeachment court is scheduled to convene at 10 a.m., with proceedings expected to be suspended in the afternoon to give way to the Senate plenary session before resuming afterward.
One of the developments ahead of the resumption is the withdrawal of the defense team's request to subpoena law professor Dean Ralph Sarmiento, who was initially listed as its first witness.
Sarmiento declined to testify, saying he wanted to preserve the independence of his constitutional law scholarship and the impartiality of his legal opinions.
The defense team said it respected his decision.
Who are expected to testify?
With Sarmiento out of the witness list, the defense is expected to present other witnesses whose testimonies are intended to address the prosecution's evidence on the Vice President's alleged unexplained wealth.
However, Atty. Suzette Balucanag-Punay, corporate counsel of Gencorp Industries Inc. and Metro City Chow Foods Corporation, will reportedly be unable to attend Monday's hearing because of a scheduled magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination.
According to House lead prosecutor Representative Gerville Luistro, the defense is instead expected to present witnesses from the Land Registration Authority (LRA), as well as the following local government officials:
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Engr. Jaime Adalin – Davao City assessor, expected to testify on tax declarations and property records concerning the Matina Crossing property.
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Engr. John Kenneth Enumerables – Island Garden City of Samal assessor, expected to discuss tax declarations and property records concerning the Samal property.
Cindy Colina – Barangay captain of Matina Crossing, Davao City.
Balucanag-Punay is expected to testify at a later hearing, reportedly on Wednesday, November 11.
Defense to focus on unexplained wealth allegations
The defense initially submitted a list of 25 prospective witnesses for the November 9 to 13 hearings, including bank representatives, corporate officials and local government personnel.
Their testimonies are expected to address financial transactions, corporate records, properties and the Vice President's reported earnings, which were among the matters raised by the prosecution.
The trial will now focus on Article II of the impeachment complaint, which involves allegations of unexplained wealth, failure to fully declare assets and failure to divest business interests.
The prosecution earlier withdrew three of the four Articles of Impeachment, covering alleged misuse of confidential funds, bribery and grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Prosecution warns against possible delays
Meanwhile, the House prosecution panel has vowed to oppose moves that could unnecessarily prolong the impeachment proceedings.
House prosecution legal spokesperson and private prosecutor Benjamin "Jay" Tolosa Jr. said the prosecution would oppose attempts by the defense to present evidence concerning the three withdrawn impeachment articles.
The prosecution is also questioning whether the defense should still be given the full 30 trial days originally allotted for the presentation of evidence on all four articles, considering that only one article remains.
However, Tolosa emphasized that the Vice President must still be given sufficient opportunity to present her defense.
The Senate impeachment court will ultimately determine the scope and schedule of the defense's presentation.
The House prosecution previously presented financial records and forensic accounting findings alleging that Duterte had at least ₱817.87 million in undeclared assets and unexplained wealth from 2022 to 2025. The Vice President has denied wrongdoing, while her lawyers have challenged the prosecution's evidence.
The Senate impeachment trial is also scheduled to continue on November 10 to 13, with additional hearings set for November 19, 20 and 23. The proceedings could extend into December, depending on the duration of the defense's presentation and the Senate's legislative calendar.
