Pro-Duterte bloc in Senate faces 'roadblock' of evidence in Sara impeachment — House prosecutor

Acquitting Vice President Sara Duterte in her upcoming impeachment trial will be difficult to justify, especially with the volume of evidence lined up against her, a House prosecutor said Friday — downplaying fears over her support from “pro-Duterte” senators.

Citing a set of strong evidence and the high level of preparedness of the prosecution panel, San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora expressed confidence that they can secure the conviction of Duterte, unless senator-judges allow political alliances to override their judgment.

“[It] appears to be a lot of pro-Duterte senators, but the prosecution is prepared and we have evidence to support the different articles of impeachment,” Zamora said in an interview.

“I think it would be difficult to acquit the Vice President in view of the numerous pieces of evidence that we have.”

Among the expected pieces of evidence are records of allegedly fictitious recipients of Duterte’s confidential funds, and a video clip from an online press conference where she allegedly claimed she had arranged for the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez in case she were killed.

Zamora acknowledged that impeachment is a numbers game, but warned that a not guilty verdict will require detailed justification to the public.

“We understand that based on partisan politics, the Vice President has the support of a lot of senators…But we hope that everyone will see the evidence that we have in the prosecution,” she said. 

"I hope when we present the articles [of impeachment] as well as the pieces of evidence that we have, the senators and the public will see [they] are sufficient to convict the Vice President,” Zamora added.

“The senators are the ones who will face the public when they acquit the [VP] based on the amount of evidence we have already gathered.”

Zamora added that since their appointment in February, the prosecution team has conducted mock trials and thoroughly reviewed the documents in preparation for the Senate trial.

Other members of the panel, including incoming representatives Leila de Lima (Mamamayan Liberal) and Chel Diokno (Akbayan), echoed similar confidence. De Lima said the evidence is particularly strong on the issue of confidential funds, while Diokno is expected to focus on the constitutional violations and abuse of public trust.

The House impeached Duterte on 5 February, citing graft, bribery, betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes. The impeachment stemmed from her alleged plot to assassinate top government officials and the supposed misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds during her time as Vice President and Education Secretary.

Duterte has denied all allegations, calling the impeachment “a well-funded and coordinated political attack” meant to derail her 2028 presidential ambitions.

The Senate is expected to convene as an impeachment court after the 20th Congress resumes and 12 newly elected senators are sworn in. A two-thirds vote, or 16 out of 24 senators, is needed to convict and permanently bar Duterte from holding public office.

However, political observers note that she is already assured of support from six senators aligned with her or her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte — namely Senators Robin Padilla, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Christopher “Bong” Go, Imee Marcos, Camille Villar, and Rodante Marcoleta. If she gains three more votes, she could escape conviction.