House lead prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro opened the prosecution’s case against Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday by stressing that public power belongs to the Filipino people and that officials entrusted with it must answer to them.
In her opening statement before the Senate impeachment court, Luistro said the trial matters because it involves public money, public trust, and the people’s right to demand accountability from the leaders they elected.
“Ang usapin ngayon ay patungkol sa isang bagay na pag-aari nilang lahat. Ang kanilang pera, ang kanilang tiwala, ang kanilang karapatan na maningil ng pananagutan mula sa mga pinuno na kanilang pinagkatiwalaan,” Luistro said.
She said ordinary public servants are required to explain how they handle public funds and perform their duties, adding that the same standard must apply to the country’s highest officials.
“If a barangay treasurer must account for public funds, then so must the vice president,” Luistro said.
Luistro emphasized that impeachment is not meant to punish political opponents or settle political scores, but to protect the Republic through a constitutional process.
“Not to punish political opponents, not to settle political scores, but to protect the Republic itself,” she said.
She framed the case as a test of democratic accountability, asking whether public officials remain answerable to the people who gave them power.
“When the people entrust power to a public official, does the public official remain accountable to the people or do the people become accountable to the public official?” Luistro said.
She answered by invoking the basic constitutional principle of popular sovereignty.
“Power belongs to the people,” Luistro said.
Luistro said the impeachment case goes beyond any single official, political party, or administration. She said it asks whether accountability still carries meaning when the official involved holds one of the highest offices in government.
The Senate formally opened Duterte’s impeachment trial on Monday, sitting as an impeachment court and setting aside 92 trial days to hear the four Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President.
Sen. Francis Escudero was elected presiding officer of the impeachment court.
The court also accepted the prosecution’s proposed order of presentation of the Articles of Impeachment, beginning with Article IV, which covers the alleged assassination threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
This will be followed by Article I, involving the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education; Article III, covering alleged bribery and procurement irregularities involving DepEd officials; and Article II, involving alleged unexplained wealth, failure to truthfully disclose assets in Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth from 2022 to 2024, and alleged failure to divest or willful continued business interests.