Davao City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte on Monday urged the public to allow the Senate impeachment court to do its work, hours before his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, was set to stand trial before the chamber.
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, the congressman said he hoped the proceedings would be conducted “fairly, professionally, and without unnecessary distractions.” He framed the trial as an opportunity for facts to prevail over what he described as months of accusations, speculation, and political narratives.
“The Filipino people deserve facts, not rumors. Evidence, not innuendo. Truth, not propaganda,” Paolo said. He added that the Vice President was prepared to face the charges and would answer every allegation “in the proper forum and under the proper process.” He closed by calling on Filipinos to approach the proceedings with an open mind, saying only the truth “can stand the test of scrutiny.”
The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, convened at 2 p.m. on July 6, 2026, opening a trial that will determine whether the Vice President remains in office. It is the first impeachment trial of a sitting Philippine vice president, and Sara is the first official in the country’s history to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives.
The House impeached her for a second time on May 11, 2026, with 257 lawmakers voting in favor, and transmitted the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate days later. The four articles accuse her of misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, amassing unexplained wealth, bribery, and threatening the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. She has denied the allegations, and her camp has characterized the case as politically motivated.
Monday’s opening session was expected to focus on procedural matters, including the appearance of counsel for both sides and unresolved motions from June’s pre-trial conferences. According to GMA News Online, the House prosecution panel planned to present officials from the National Bureau of Investigation and the House Legislative Security Bureau as its first witnesses from July 6 to July 8, beginning with the article covering the alleged threat against Marcos. The Senate has approved 92 trial days for the proceedings.
The Associated Press reported that more than 6,000 police officers, including anti-riot units, were deployed around the Senate, where pro- and anti-Duterte demonstrators were expected to gather. A conviction requires the votes of at least two-thirds of the 24-member Senate, or 16 senators, and would result in the Vice President’s removal from office and possible perpetual disqualification from public office.
The trial unfolds against a bitter feud between the Marcos and Duterte families, who ran on a joint ticket in 2022. Its outcome is widely seen as shaping the 2028 presidential race, in which Sara — who announced her candidacy in February 2026 — is regarded as a leading contender. As of the start of proceedings, her defense team had not confirmed whether she would attend in person, as the Senate summons allowed her to be represented by counsel.
