On Monday, Leila De Lima, a former senator and justice secretary, said it’s too early to ask certain senators to step away from Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial—just because she supported their candidacy during the elections.
De Lima is now a member of the group in the House of Representatives that is trying to prove that VP Sara did something wrong. This group is called the prosecution panel.
What is she saying?
De Lima explained that every senator must judge the case fairly by following the evidence and the rules in the Constitution—not just because they like or support someone.
“As a lawyer and former Justice Secretary, I believe that every senator has the duty to judge the impeachment based on the evidence and the Constitution. Nothing more, nothing less,” De Lima said.
She added that we shouldn’t tell senators to “recuse” or remove themselves from the trial just yet. Instead, she said:
“Our wish is not for them to back out but to look at the evidence and do their duty to the Filipino people.”
What’s going to happen?
The impeachment trial will be shown on national TV, so everyone in the Philippines can watch it. De Lima said this is a good thing because it gives the people a chance to see if the senators will be fair and honest in how they decide the case.
She also said we should wait and see how the senators act once the trial starts. Only then can we judge if they are doing their job properly.
“Since the proceedings are televised, the public will be able to see if the senator-judges are being fair, or if they are just being loyal to a certain politician,” De Lima added.
How does impeachment work?
According to the Philippine Constitution:
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To remove someone from office through impeachment, at least 16 out of 24 senators must vote yes.
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If 9 or more senators vote no, the official will be acquitted (found not guilty).
Why is VP Sara Duterte on trial?
On February 5, the House of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte. That means they believed there was strong enough reason to bring her to trial.
Over 200 congressmen supported the charges, which include:
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Betrayal of public trust
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Breaking the Constitution
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Graft and corruption
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Other serious crimes
Most of these charges are related to the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds. She’s also accused of making threats to kill President Bongbong Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez, who is also the President’s cousin.
What does VP Sara say?
Despite these serious accusations, Vice President Sara Duterte said she is ready for the trial. In fact, she said she is looking forward to it because she wants a “bloodbath,” which means a tough fight. She said her legal team is working very hard to prepare.
