THE Senate Impeachment Court has formally rejected repeated objections raised by Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s legal team against the admission of evidence gathered through subpoenas, ruling in a November 5 order released Friday that such documents are admissible as long as they relate to the charges in the remaining article of impeachment.
Presiding Officer Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero wrote that the House of Representatives, as the prosecuting body, and the Senate, as the impeachment court, both possess constitutional authority to issue subpoenas to prove the allegations set forth in the Articles of Impeachment.
The court stated that failure to attach documents to the original complaints does not automatically disqualify them from being presented during the trial, and that labeling the process a “fishing expedition” does not in itself make evidence obtained through subpoenas inadmissible.
The defense had argued since the House Committee on Justice proceedings in March 2026 that documents not specifically mentioned in the four original impeachment complaints should be excluded, and described the prosecution’s request for bank records and other financial documents as an impermissible “fishing expedition.”
The court clarified, however, that the Articles of Impeachment define the ultimate facts at issue, while subpoenaed materials may provide the supporting evidence needed to establish those facts. The admissibility of any document depends on its logical connection to the principal issues raised — specifically whether it helps prove or disprove the allegation of unexplained wealth contained in Article II, the sole remaining charge against Duterte.
While accepting most of the prosecution’s evidence, the court also drew clear boundaries: it rejected the inclusion of Commission on Audit records related to confidential funds, noting that Article I — which covered the alleged misuse of such funds — had already been withdrawn and therefore cannot be revived or raised collaterally.
Other records, including Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) dating back to 2007, were admitted but with the limitation that pre‑vice‑presidency declarations may only serve as a baseline for comparison. The trial is set to resume on November 9, at which point Duterte’s defense team will present its rebuttal to the evidence on Article II. If convicted, the Vice President faces removal from office and potential permanent disqualification from holding public position.
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