Impeachment Case Narrows Abruptly: Prosecutors Drop Three of Four Charges, Betting Everything on Unexplained Wealth
The impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte took its biggest turn since it opened, on Tuesday, October 13. Reuters reported that the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, approved the prosecution's withdrawal of most of the charges: lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro told the court prosecutors would withdraw three of the four charges and leave only the allegations of unexplained wealth for senator-judges to rule on. The withdrawn charges accused Duterte of misusing confidential funds, bribery, and alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the first lady and a former House speaker.
Luistro said the evidence already presented was substantial and compelling enough to remove Duterte from office, and that focusing on a single charge would narrow the issues before the court, with practical benefits for the Senate, the respondent and the public. Malaya's same-day reporting confirmed the scope of the withdrawal and noted a precedent in the 2012 impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona. The prosecution's confidence rests on its financial evidence: forensic expert Alexander Cabrera testified the couple had at least 817.87 million pesos in undeclared wealth from 2022 to 2025, following testimony from anti-money-laundering officials and bank and insurance witnesses.
Duterte's lawyer argued the move was unfair, saying the defense would be unable to present its case on the withdrawn allegations — the prosecution rested just as the defense's turn was beginning. Duterte's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The trial's outcome will decide whether Duterte keeps the vice presidency and her eligibility to run for president in 2028. With everything now riding on a single unexplained-wealth charge, the Senate will next hear the defense before ruling — and the climax of the Philippines' October political drama is moving toward its endgame.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：菲律宾参议院议事厅。摄影：Philippine News Agency photo by Avito Dalan，Public domain，取自 Wikimedia Commons
