The House of Representatives (HOR) prosecution panel in the impeachment trial announced on Tuesday that it is no longer pursuing charges of alleged misuse of confidential funds, bribery, and grave threats against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte.
Lead prosecutor and representative Gerville Luistro asked the Impeachment Court to retain only the unexplained wealth charge, alleging that Duterte amassed P817.87 million (Dh48.68 million) in undeclared assets and unexplained wealth from 2022 to 2025.
Luistro said the decision to drop the other articles of impeachment was made to expedite the trial and narrow the scope of the proceedings. She claimed that the prosecution panel was completely confident that the evidence presented on the alleged unexplained wealth was substantial, compelling, and strong enough to stand on its own to secure a conviction and warrant Duterte’s removal from office.
Lead defence counsel Sheila Sison described the prosecution’s surprise move as “very strange”, adding that it was unfair to Duterte to have been impeached under three charges only to be denied the chance to dispute the allegations of misuse of confidential funds and grave threats in open court.
“It is too late for the prosecution to claim it just wants to save time when it has already spent 38 days [in open court],” Sison said.
The House impeachment prosecution panel dropped three of the four original articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, retaining only Article II (unexplained wealth) to focus its case.
Dropped charges:
Article I (alleged misuse of confidential funds)
Article III (bribery)
Article IV (grave threats)
Retained charge: T
Article II (accuses Duterte of amassing P817.87 million in allegedly undeclared assets and unexplained wealth from 2022 to 2025)