The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte — the first Philippine public official to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives — began at 2 pm on Monday, July 6.
There are four articles of impeachment against Duterte involving alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery of Department of Education officials, and grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family.
For the first three weeks, the trial will be held from Monday to Wednesday, and starting July 28, from Tuesday to Thursday. The prosecution will have 62 trial dates, while the defense will have 30 trial dates.
Only 21 out of 24 senator-judges are physically present. Senator Bato dela Rosa remains in hiding as he faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, Senator Jinggoy Estrada has been detained and suspended in connection with a plunder case, and Senator Rodante Marcoleta surrendered to authorities as he also faces a plunder case.
On this page, we bring you the latest updates, analyses, videos, and photos as the trial of the Vice President unfolds.
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LATEST UPDATES
37 minutes ago
Prosecution expects NBI chief to withstand grilling at impeachment court
House prosecutor Bel Zamora says the prosecution expects NBI Director Melvin Matibag to withstand grilling by senator-judges when he appears before the impeachment court. Matibag earlier clashed with senator-judges Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano.
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43 minutes ago
Erwin Tulfo calls out Duterte-allied senators for using impeachment court to raise non-trial matters
Senator Erwin Tulfo calls out Senator Robin Padilla for raising the issue of his rift with Ombudsman Boying Remulla — an issue not related to Vice President’s trial — before the impeachment court.
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57 minutes ago
Prosecution to streamline presentations at Sara Duterte impeachment trial
In an interview with Rappler on Monday, July 20, House prosecutor Bel Zamora says they are streamlining the presentation of evidence and witnesses at Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, to deter public fatigue with the proceedings.
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2 hours ago
3 obstacles the prosecution must hurdle in Sara Duterte’s money trail
To examine whether Vice President Sara Duterte accumulated wealth she failed to disclose or could not explain, prosecutors want to compare what she declared in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), what moved through bank accounts linked to her, and what income she reported to tax authorities.
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2 hours ago
Who is Lorenz Defensor, public prosecutor in Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial?
Now on his third and final term, Iloilo Representative Lorenz Defensor leads the prosecution’s sub-group on the impeachment article related to Sara Duterte’s apparent threat against President Marcos.
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2 hours ago
Prosecution: You wouldn’t want to miss NBI chief Matibag’s testimony
Prosecution spokesman Jay Tolosa hypes NBI chief Melvin Matibag’s upcoming testimony on Tuesday, July 21.
“You wouldn’t want to miss his testimony tomorrow,” Tolosa says on Monday, July 20, in response to a question on whether Matibag will discuss whether the NBI has established that Vice President Sara Duterte had hired an assassin to kill President Marcos.
Tolosa insists that from their point of view, a hitman was contracted by the Vice President because she already made an admission against interest.
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2 hours ago
Prosecution believes Marcos consent not needed in obtaining Sara Duterte’s tax records
Private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. says the prosecution team believes a presidential authority from Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is not needed in order to obtain Vice President Sara Duterte’s tax records.
Section 71 of the National Internal Revenue Code requires presidential authority before an individual’s income tax returns become open to inspection.
“The Constitution trumps special laws. Our first position is that the Constitution is more supreme, it grants the impeachment court the sole authority to decide and try impeachment proceedings. Their power includes the issuance of subpoenas. This is the highest form of accountability mechanism in the Constitution,” Tolosa says.
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3 hours ago
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Day 7 of Sara Duterte impeachment trial – July 20, 2026
It’s the seventh day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte today Monday, July 20. Rappler’s special coverage brings updates, analysis, and commentary from a panel of reporters and experts, hosted by Rappler columnist John Nery.
Joining him are Rappler managing editor Miriam Grace Go, lawyer, former congressman, and Estrada impeachment trial prosecutor Oscar Moreno, and constitutional law expert and Cordillera Career Development College – College of Law professor Maria Lulu Reyes.
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4 hours ago
Groups: Open Sara Duterte’s bank records
Various groups stage a rally in front of the Senate building on Monday, July 20, calling for the Senate to subpoena and unseal the bank and tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The Senate, sitting as the impeachment court, will continue their deliberations on the matter on Monday.
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4 hours ago
House prosecution team holds press conference | July 20, 2026
House impeachment spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong, and counsel Benjamin Tolosa Jr. hold a press conference on Monday, July 20, the seventh day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
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