IMPEACHMENT prosecutor and House Committee on Public Accounts Chairperson Terry L. Ridon welcomed on Thursday Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s announcement that the Senate will formally convene as an impeachment court on May 18 at 3 p.m. for the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.
Ridon is among the 11 lawmakers formally elected by the House of Representatives on May 12 as members of the prosecution panel that will present the articles of impeachment and evidence before the Senate.
“Nagpapasalamat po ang House Prosecution Panel sa pagbanggit po ni Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano na iko-convene na po ang Senate Impeachment Court laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte sa darating na May 18, 2026, Lunes at 3PM,” he said in a statement.
“Maaasahan din po na ‘yon pong kabuuan ng House Prosecution Panel ay magpupunta rin po dito po sa araw na ito para saksihan ‘yon pong pag-convene ng Senate Impeachment Court,” Ridon added.
Under the Constitution, the Senate is mandated to forthwith convene as an impeachment court once the House sends the articles of impeachment.
The House formally transmitted the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate on Wednesday night, just two days after 257 lawmakers voted to impeach Duterte in a landslide decision, with 25 voting against and nine abstaining.
The 11-member prosecution team is composed of lawyer-lawmakers, veteran litigators, former prosecutors, and senior House leaders from both the majority and minority blocs.
Aside from Ridon, the panel includes Reps. Joel Chua (Manila 3rd District), Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Party-list), Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro (Batangas 2nd District), Chel Diokno (Akbayan Party-list), Ysabel Maria Zamora (San Juan City), Lordan Suan (Cagayan de Oro City 1st District), Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon 2nd District), Lorenz Defensor (Iloilo 3rd District), Rodge Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list), and Kaka Bag-ao (Dinagat Islands).
Several members of the prosecution panel previously took part in high-profile legal and impeachment proceedings, including Diokno, who served as a private prosecutor during the impeachment trial of former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, and Bag-ao, who was part of the prosecution panel during the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Luistro, who chairs the Committee on Justice and led the impeachment proceedings in the House, previously served as one of the lead investigators in a landmark tax credit scam probe during the Arroyo administration. Meanwhile, De Lima is a former justice secretary and former chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights.
Chua, for his part, led the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability’s investigation into the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) during the 19th Congress—findings that contributed to the first impeachment move in 2025.
Other members of the House prosecution panel also bring strong legal credentials, having graduated from some of the country’s leading law schools.
House leaders earlier described the prosecution team as a “powerhouse” panel assembled to uphold the Constitution and present the impeachment case with professionalism and respect for due process.
Duterte of alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery involving DepEd officials, and grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
