SATURDAY NEWS FORUM - NOVEMBER 07, 2026

Summary

The forum focused on the expected resumption of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial and the defense’s upcoming presentation of evidence. The speakers, who were members of the prosecution side, presented their arguments as allegations, not as established findings.

Unexplained-wealth allegations

Rep. Terry Ridon said the defense should address the prosecution’s estimate of ₱817 million to ₱1.5 billion in unexplained wealth, compared with about ₱98 million declared in Duterte’s statement of assets and liabilities.

He also pointed to alleged discrepancies involving bank, insurance, and investment accounts; credit-card spending; business interests, including GenCorp; and properties in Davao City and Samal that the prosecution says were not declared. Ridon said Duterte should explain these matters directly.

Prosecution says its case is complete

Atty. J. Tolosa said the prosecution had formally offered its evidence and that the impeachment court had admitted most of its documentary exhibits. The prosecution is therefore considered to have rested its case, leaving the defense to respond.

Tolosa said the defense had not challenged the authenticity of many records, instead raising confidentiality and bank-secrecy objections that the court had rejected.

Scope and pace of the defense case

The prosecution urged the defense to focus on the remaining unexplained-wealth article rather than present evidence on articles that were dropped. Tolosa argued that the defense’s allotted trial days should be proportionate to the single remaining article, rather than the 30 days originally set when four articles were under consideration.

The prosecution said it would object to witnesses it considers irrelevant, while also saying it would allow the defense latitude to present its case. It suggested that some matters involving bank records might be stipulated to avoid unnecessary delay.

Expected witnesses and possible explanations

The defense had listed roughly two dozen witnesses, including bank representatives and local government or property officials. The prosecution anticipated testimony about properties, accounts, and payments, but said some witnesses’ relevance was unclear.

It argued that a claim of staff error would not, by itself, resolve discrepancies in documents signed and notarized by the vice president. It also said the vice president might be best placed to explain the allegations if the defense’s position is that she did not know about particular accounts or transactions.

Procedural objections and sub judice

Tolosa said the court had rejected the defense’s continuing objections to the prosecution’s evidence. The speakers also discussed the court’s restoration of sub judice restrictions concerning the dropped articles.

They said the prosecution intended to avoid commenting on matters barred by those rules while continuing to discuss admitted evidence within the permitted limits.

Polling and political implications

Ridon said polling should not determine the trial, which he characterized as an evidence-based legal and political process rather than a popularity contest. He noted that an SWS survey cited in the discussion predated the unexplained-wealth hearings.

He also compared it with an OCTA survey reporting lower voter preference for Duterte—about 40%, versus figures around 49–50% in other surveys—but cautioned that comparisons across firms require care.

The speakers said public support for the Duterte family remained significant, while a conviction could require the family to find an alternative candidate for 2028. They also expressed hope that the public would respect the Senate’s decision and voiced concern that criticism of the court could encourage supporters to reject an unfavorable ruling.

Separate ICC proceedings

Ridon said the forthcoming International Criminal Court proceedings involving former president Rodrigo Duterte were separate from the vice president’s impeachment case and should not be conflated with it.

Presenters and contributors

• Rep. Terry Ridon
• Atty. J. Tolosa