Prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte have dropped the final bribery charge against her, citing sufficient evidence on three other counts that they believe will secure her conviction and removal from office. The decision was announced by the prosecution team of the Philippine House of Representatives as part of efforts to expedite the trial, which remains ongoing.
The dismissed bribery accusation related to allegations that Duterte, during her time as education secretary, bribed officials in the Department of Education to influence procurement decisions. Prosecutors indicated that pursuing this charge further would unnecessarily prolong proceedings and strain the patience of both the senator-judges and the public.
Public prosecutor and representative Jonathan Keith Flores explained that the choice to drop the bribery charge was within the prosecution’s discretion and faced no opposition from the impeachment court. Fellow prosecutor Rodge Gutierrez emphasized that each article of impeachment stands independently, ensuring the remaining three charges remain actionable.
Senator-judge Francis Pangilinan, who is part of the impeachment court, supported the prosecution’s move. He noted that reducing the witness list would facilitate a faster defense presentation, potentially bringing the trial closer to conclusion before year’s end.
To date, the prosecution has submitted evidence on several fronts, including allegations of Duterte’s misuse of confidential funds from both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. Additionally, they have presented claims that Duterte issued threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez during a November 2024 livestream.
The prosecution is currently finalizing its presentation of evidence regarding Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth. This evidence, backed by bank transactions, tax documents, property records, and official Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, implicates Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, in accumulating a fortune far exceeding their declared assets. Forensic financial analyst Alexander Cabrera testified that the couple may have amassed as much as 817.87 million Philippine pesos (approximately 48.6 million dirhams) in undisclosed wealth and undeclared income between 2022 and 2025, compared with their declared net worth of 98.65 million pesos (about 5.87 million dirhams) at the end of 2025. The prosecution intends to rest its case after presenting this body of evidence.
Recent developments have further complicated Duterte’s position. Senator-judge Mark Villar formally defected from the pro-Duterte camp to join the majority bloc, seeking a more productive role. His move was confirmed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri. Villar subsequently received the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Public Works and a member appointment to the Commission on Appointments. Villar’s sister, senator-judge Camille Villar, remains aligned with the pro-Duterte minority.
Senator-judge Pangilinan suggested the minority bloc’s numbers might shrink further, with speculation that Loren Legarda could rejoin the majority upon returning from medical leave in France. Given that two pro-Duterte senators are in detention on plunder charges and another is evading an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, only six senator-judges appear firmly committed to Duterte’s acquittal: Imee Marcos, Christopher Lawrence Go, Camille Villar, Pia Cayetano, Alan Peter Cayetano, and Robinhood Padilla.
In response to dwindling support, senators Padilla and Go have petitioned the Philippine Supreme Court to reinstate the higher conviction threshold of 16 votes. Padilla also indicated the minority’s frustration with the trial’s trajectory, suggesting that continued marginalization might lead to the minority bloc abstaining from future proceedings.