Senator Imee Marcos offered a favorable assessment of lawyer Sheila Sison after observing the litigator handle the opening phase of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment defense, though she also voiced disappointment that a longtime acquaintance had not taken the lead role.
The senator, speaking through a text message on Tuesday, said the trial gave her a first look at Sison in a courtroom setting. “First time I watched her at work: she is clearly an experienced litigator and passionate about her work,” Marcos said.
Her remarks carried a personal note. Marcos had anticipated seeing lawyer Philip Sigfrid “Sig” Fortun steer the defense, given their history together. “But I missed my classmate Sig Fortun, whom I thought would be lead counsel,” she added. Fortun, a founding partner of the Fortun, Narvasa & Salazar firm that has represented Duterte, remains part of the Vice President’s roughly 16-member legal team but did not deliver the opening presentation.
Sison, a partner at the same firm, has drawn wide attention for her aggressive courtroom style since the proceedings opened at the Senate on Monday, July 6. Before any opening statement was read, she moved against the prosecution’s push to arraign Duterte, contending that the Vice President was already properly represented through her lawyers and did not need to appear in person. According to the Manila Bulletin, Sison argued that the Senate’s impeachment rules, including Rules 7, 9, and 21, contained no requirement for an arraignment or for the reading of the 23-page articles of impeachment.
In her opening address, Sison framed the case as an attempt to unseat an official chosen by more than 32 million voters, a tally she noted exceeded the count received by the sitting president. She told the court the prosecution alone carried the burden of proof, and pointed to the Supreme Court’s 2025 ruling that struck down the first attempt to impeach Duterte on grounds of grave abuse of discretion. Sison also faulted the House justice committee for what she characterized as a “mini trial” that assembled evidence against Duterte before the matter ever reached the Senate.
Duterte was impeached a second time by the House in May 2026, becoming the first Philippine official removed to trial twice by the lower chamber. The charges against her span the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez. A conviction would strip her of office and bar her from future public posts, closing off the 2028 presidential run she declared in February.
