LIVE UPDATES: Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial (July 8, 2026)

Vice President Sara Duterte and one of her allies, identified as Princess Maui, failed to appear before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to substantiate their claims of an alleged plot to kill the Vice President and her family, NBI Senior Agent Mark Calilung said.

Calilung made the disclosure while testifying for the prosecution during Duterte's impeachment trial, particularly on Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment.

"We tried to investigate the supposed threats against them, Your Honor. It was included in our letter to the Vice President. That is why we invited her to our office so we could investigate the alleged threats to her life," Calilung said.

The Senate impeachment court has scheduled oral arguments for July 15 on the House prosecution panel's request to subpoena the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte, her husband Manases Carpio, and businesses linked to them.

Impeachment court presiding officer Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero announced the schedule on Wednesday, the third day of Duterte's impeachment trial.

Vice President Sara Duterte's statements that she had instructed someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez constituted a serious threat, a prosecution witness testified on Wednesday.

According to National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Senior Agent Mark Calilung, authorities consider several factors in determining whether a statement constitutes a serious threat, including whether the person making it has the capability to carry it out.

One of the framers of the 1987 Constitution expressed belief Tuesday that the Supreme Court will keep its hands off the election of Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero as the presiding officer of the Senate impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Former Supreme Court associate justice Adolfo Azcuna spoke on the issue amid the legal challenge mounted by Atty. Israelito Torreon, counsel for several allies of the Duterte family, and other lawyers questioning Escudero's authority to preside over the proceedings.

The House prosecution panel will present Zuleika Lopez, the chief of staff of Vice President Sara Duterte as a witness in Duterte’s impeachment trial next week.

House prosecutor and Iloilo Representative Lorenz Defensor on Wednesday informed the Senate impeachment court of the decision after the defense argued that Lopez’s detention in the House of Representatives and transfer to the Correctional Institute for Women in 2024 prompted Duterte to issue threats against President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and members of his family. 

Former Supreme Court associate justice Adolfo Azcuna said Wednesday that he doesn’t see the need to possibly raise the 16-vote threshold to convict Vice President Sara Duterte before the high court.

“Palagay ko hindi pa kailangan na, hindi pa panahon na dalhin ito sa Supreme Court dahil hindi pa naman magbobotohan. Ito ay isang posisyon lamang ng chair regarding the voting threshold which can be appealed to the body,” Azcuna told GMA News.

(I think it is not yet necessary, it is not yet the right time to bring this to the Supreme Court because voting hasn't even taken place yet. This is merely a position of the chair regarding the voting threshold, which can be appealed to the body.)

Malacañang on Wednesday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. supports the decisions of the Senate out of respect for the constitutional principle of separation of powers, following remarks suggesting the Palace was backing the chamber's current majority bloc.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro made the statement when asked about Senator Pia Cayetano's remark during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, in which she suggested that her colleagues in the majority "call Malacañang" to convene a special session for the amendment of the Senate's impeachment rules, saying that "it seems that Malacañang is very supportive of the majority."

Lawyer Michael Poa, a legal counsel of Vice President Sara Duterte, denied Tuesday that the multiple objections of the defense team on the second day of her impeachment trial was a legal strategy, asserting that these are merely part of regular court proceedings.

"Hindi strategy 'yun. It's actually something that lawyers do everyday in court. Bakit? Kasi under the rules there are questions that are objectionable and questions that are allowed. Siyempre kapag objectionable, trabaho rin ng abogado—whether defense or prosecution—to object and the rule in terms of testimony being given by witness, they have to object as soon as the ground is apparent. Ibig sabihin kapag lumabas na... dapat mag-object ka na kaagad kasi kung hindi ka mag-object, that would be considered waived," Poa told reporters.

(That is not a strategy, but actually something that lawyers do everyday in court. Why? Because under the rules, there are questions that are objectionable and questions that are allowed. If the questions were objectionable, then it is our job to object and the rule in terms of testimony being given by witness is that we have to object as soon as the ground is apparent. This means we have to object each question as it arises, or else it would be considered waived.)

The number of cops deployed outside of the Senate’s premises in Pasay City is now down to over 1,000, but the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) remains on full alert as the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte continues.

NCRPO Spokesperson Police Major Hazel Asilo told GMA News Online that there are 1,442 cops securing outside the Senate grounds on Wednesday, down from the over 4,000 Metro Manila cops deployed during the first day of the trial last Monday, July 6. 

Vice President Sara Duterte attended the 18th Araw ng Bigaan and the 65th Patronal Fiesta in honor of the Mother of Perpetual Help in Barangay Bigaan, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, on Wednesday, as the Senate impeachment court held the third day of hearings in her impeachment trial.

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) shared photos of Duterte's visit, showing her addressing residents during the celebration and taking part in a tree-planting activity.

No further details were released about the Vice President's other activities or the contents of her speech during the event.