The Senate impeachment court is now hearing the case against Vice President Sara Duterte, and it is the biggest political story in the country. This thread is for following it and arguing it out.

Where things stand:

• May 11, 2026 — the House of Representatives impeached her for a second time. The articles were transmitted to the Senate on May 13.
• Four articles were filed: betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and bribery. The allegations cover confidential and intelligence funds at the Office of the Vice President and at DepEd during her time as Education Secretary, unexplained wealth, and the alleged threats against President Marcos, the First Lady and then-Speaker Martin Romualdez.
• May 18, 2026 — the Senate convened as an impeachment court, and set the trial to open on July 6, with Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero elected presiding officer and 23 senator-judges taking the oath.
• Now — the trial is in its second month and still on Article I, the confidential funds. Commission on Audit witnesses have testified that the OVP liquidated its P125-million 2022 allocation with acknowledgment receipts but no official receipts or invoices, that large parts of the 2023 allocation lacked documents showing what the money was actually for, and that paying informants in medicine and supplies was unusual. The court has ordered both sides to go through 845 acknowledgment receipts one by one.
• The Supreme Court has dismissed the petitions asking it to stop the proceedings, holding them moot now that the trial is underway. This is the second attempt — her first impeachment, in February 2025, was voided by the Court in July 2025 over the one-year bar, and the Senate archived those articles.
• What it takes: 16 votes to convict. A conviction removes her from office and disqualifies her from holding public office again — which is why the 2028 race is in the background of all of this.

Her camp denies wrongdoing and calls the case politically motivated. Nothing has been decided.

What we would like to hear from you:

1. On the evidence so far, is the prosecution making its case on the confidential funds — or is this a paper trail argument that will not reach 16 votes?
2. Is the Senate handling the trial fairly, and is Escudero running it well?
3. Do the alleged assassination threats belong in the same case as the funds, or do they muddy it?
4. Whichever way it goes, what does the verdict do to 2028?

Ground rules: argue the issue, not the person replying to you. No slurs, no personal information about anyone, and no rumours presented as fact — if you are citing something, link it. Corrections to the summary above are welcome, with a source. Off-topic and abusive replies will be removed.