As the Philippine Senate is trying to settle down from its recent leadership change, the protagonists in the upcoming impeachment trial to determine Vice President Sara Duterte’s guilt or innocence are sharpening their legal knives for a showdown that is sure to hold the country in thrall for months.
Duterte is being accused of alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and making threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
The House of Representatives (HoR) on Tuesday formally elected an 11-member prosecution panel that will represent the chamber in the impeachment trial. Duterte’s legal team, on the other hand, had been formed as early as March.
Legislator-prosecutors
As expected, HoR Committee on Justice chairperson Gerville Reyes-Luistro (Batangas 2nd District) will lead the public prosecution team. Reyes-Luistro presided over eight panel hearings that determined sufficiency of form, substance, ground and probable cause that impeached Duterte for the second time. A law professor prior to joining electoral politics, her role is to keep her team together when the trial starts.
The prosecutor expected to bring her legal guns to bear the most is Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Partylist) who was former Justice Secretary, Commission on Human Rights Chairperson, and top-notch election lawyer. The fact that she was herself a former senator means that she will not be easily intimidated by the few lawyers among the senator-judges. As a victim of seven years of wrongful imprisonment during the Rodrigo Duterte administration also means she has the biggest axe to grind against the respondent.
Jose Manuel Diokno (Akbayan Party-list) would join de Lima as someone with formidable legal chops. He is a prominent human rights lawyer, educator, and advocate for judicial reform. Known for his work with the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) as chairman, he was the founding dean of the De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law. His father was also a former Senator.
Joining the team are lawyers Terry Ridon (Bicol Saro Party-list), Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list), Ysabel Maria Zamora (San Juan City), Lorenz Defensor (Iloilo 3rd District), Arlene Bag-ao (Dinagat Islands), Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon 2nd District), Lordan Suan (Cagayan de Oro City 1st District), and Joel R. Chua (Manila 3rd District).
Formidable, expensive defense team
Even though a lawyer herself, Vice President Duterte is not expected to appear during the trials. Instead, she formed a legal defense team that may be described as “the best money can buy.”
Most of her lawyers are partners and associates of the Fortun, Narvasa and Soriano (FNS) law firm. The FNS is a prominent, high-profile law firm in the Philippines known for handling complex litigation, corporate law, and sensitive, high-stakes cases. They represented controversial clients, earning a reputation for a “maverick” approach to litigation and a “systematic” approach to issues at bar.
Leading the team is FNS founder and civil and criminal litigation specialist Philip Sigfrid Fortun. He is joined by partner Gregorio Narvasa II, another name that sends chills to their opponents’ spine, as he carries the name of his father who was once the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Expected to carry the heaviest load, however is Atty. Sheila Sison, described as a fierce litigator. She was valedictorian of her law school upon graduation on full scholarship. Another Narvasa joins the team in Carlo Joaquin who his law firm describes as passionate and efficient.
Lawyers Roberto Tungpalan-Bacalc, Justin Nicol Gular, Lindon Miguel Miguel, David Ronell Golla VII, Maria Selene Golda Fortun, Claribae Radoc, Francesca Marie Flores, Miguel Carlos Fernandez, Reynold Munsayac, Mark Vinluan, and Ralph Bodota are the other members of Duterte’s battery of lawyers. Atty. Michael Wesley Poa is expected to carry on his role as Duterte’s spokesperson.
The legal team is not expected to divulge their fees, but they are not known for being cheap.
The Senator-Judges
While previous impeachment trials benefitted from legal giants such as Juan Ponce-Enrile, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Aquilino Pimentel, Raul Roco and others as Senator-Judges, only five of the current senators are lawyers: Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, his sister Pia Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Rodante Marcoleta, and Francis Pangilinan.
His being a lawyer would serve Alan Peter Cayetano in good stead in presiding over the trial. He is expected to know the rules of court, although he has no extensive litigation background. Pedantic and a rambling speaker, he is also known to pepper his speeches with biblical quotes as he fancies himself “God’s ambassador.”
His sister Pia was a corporate lawyer before joining electoral politics.
A former Senate President who successfully frustrated what should have been Duterte’s first impeachment trial in 2025, Escudero was in fact a law professor before his political career. His staccato speaking style is expected to be heard more during the trial, although he had been mostly silent on the floor since allegations of his corruption had surfaced.
Filipinos would be hearing lots from Marcoleta during the trial. He is not shy about letting everyone know that he is a lawyer, often pointing it out to non-lawyer colleagues, especially those not allied with his camp.
A veteran lawmaker, Francis Pangilinan is expected to be the voice of reason among lawyer-judges during the trial. His activist background would present views that would be beyond court rules.
Some non-lawyer senator-judges would have to rely on their digital tablets for feeds from their respective legal teams. Others, especially the intellectual lightweights, would not even bother to master the rules of court and would just vote on what is personally beneficial for them. When they rise up to speak, they would most likely provide the comic relief in the drama. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
