Private prosecutor Theodore “Ted” Te, former Supreme Court (SC) spokesperson, conducted the direct examination of Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, who took the witness stand before the Senate impeachment court on Tuesday, September 29, as part of the impeachment trial of his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte.
Te joined the House prosecution panel as a private prosecutor in June, along with other lawyers.
But before joining the prosecution team, Te had already built a career in human rights law, legal education and public service.
Te served as spokesperson of the SC from 2013 to 2018 during the tenure of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. He resigned from the position after Sereno was ousted.
Te is a longtime human rights lawyer and member of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), which was the country's oldest human rights lawyers' network.
He has handled cases involving civil liberties, freedom of expression, press freedom and the death penalty. He has also represented journalists in libel and cyberlibel cases.
Among his notable clients was death-row convict Leo Echegaray. Te served as Echegaray's counsel in proceedings involving the constitutionality and implementation of the death penalty.
Te is an assistant professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law. He has also taught at the Ateneo Law School and De La Salle University Tañada-Diokno School of Law. He currently heads the UP Law Clinical Legal Education Program and serves as director of the UP Office of Legal Aid.
Te was born in Davao City, the political bailiwick of Mayor Baste Duterte.
He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of the Philippines before pursuing law at the UP College of Law. While in law school, he was already involved in FLAG and served as vice chairperson of the Philippine Law Journal.
He later earned a Master of Laws degree from Columbia University in New York City.
In June 2026, the House prosecution panel formally announced Te as one of its additional private prosecutors for Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial. His addition brought the number of private prosecutors assisting the House panel to 15.
Te conducted the direct examination of Mayor Duterte, who is testifying about government contracts awarded by the Davao City government to GenCorp Industries Inc., a company listed as a business interest in the Vice President's Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
