House prosecution rejects Sara Duterte trial ‘compromise’

MANILA, Philippines — The House prosecution panel rejected suggestions of a compromise that would convict Vice President Sara Z. Duterte in her Senate impeachment trial while leaving her eligible to seek public office, calling the idea unconstitutional.

Speaking to reporters, House private prosecutor and legal spokesperson Atty. Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. emphasized that the Constitution strictly dictates the consequences of a conviction.

“That has no basis, and it’s inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution, which provides that if an impeachable officer is found guilty… then she should suffer the penalties of removal from office and perpetual disqualification,” Tolosa stressed.

READ: Palace: No talks on Sara Duterte replacement yet ‘out of respect’

Under Article XI, Section 3(7) of the 1987 Constitution, judgment in cases of impeachment extends to removal from office and disqualification to hold any office of honor, trust, or profit under the Republic of the Philippines.

The issue bears heavy political weight given widespread expectations surrounding Duterte’s potential presidential run in 2028, though the Senate impeachment court has yet to render a verdict.

Tolosa further clarified that streamlining the prosecution’s case to focus solely on Article II does not alter the constitutional penalties being sought by the panel.

“You only need to secure conviction for one [article] so that we will get the penalty under the Constitution,” Tolosa explained. “The penalties here will just be the same regardless of the number of articles that remain.”

The prosecution recently withdrew Articles I, III, and IV, choosing to stake its entire case on Article II, which centers on alleged unexplained wealth, inaccurate statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) disclosures, and business interests attributed to the Vice President.

Tolosa noted that dropping the other charges is a procedural strategy rather than a assessment of guilt, reiterating that the final verdict rests exclusively with the senator-judges.

“For us, what matters here is that at the end of the day, the question we’re aiming to answer is the Vice President’s continued fitness to remain in office,” he said.

Duterte’s defense team has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing and is set to present its evidence rebutting the Article II allegations when the trial resumes. The ultimate decision on conviction and its legal ramifications remains in the hands of the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, once both sides conclude their presentations.