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

Impeachment presiding officer Francis "Chiz" Escudero said Tuesday the Senate impeachment tribunal would invite amici curiae, or "friends of the court," regarding the voting threshold required to convict an impeached official.

But what does an amicus curiae do?

Black's Law Dictionary defines amicus curiae—the singular Latin noun for amici curiae—as "a bystander (usually a counsellor) who interposes and volunteers information upon some matter of law in regard to which the judge is doubtful or mistaken… or upon a matter of which the court may take judicial cognizance."

In the Philippines, the term may also be found in Section 10 of the Internal Rules of the Supreme Court (SC).

Though the section does not define the phrase, it states that, "if necessary, the Court may invite amicus curiae."

Vice President Sara Duterte cannot be compelled to testify against herself during her own impeachment trial, her lead defense counsel said Tuesday.

During the 23rd day of the impeachment trial, lawyer Sheila Sison cited Section 17, Article 3 of the Constitution, which states that “no person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.”

“This right is absolute and this is not only a simple right or a statutory right. This is a fundamental right. This is a right emanating from the Constitution itself and one that emanates from the guarantees under Article 3 of our 1987 Constitution,” she said.

This came after the House Prosecution panel said they intend to call Duterte to the witness stand.

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday announced that oral arguments between the defense and prosecution will be conducted on September 23, 2026, in relation to the 16-vote threshold set to convict Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial.

This, after Senator-Judge Erwin Tulfo made a manifestation, seeking clarification on the voting threshold, given that four senator-judges are currently not attending the trial.

“The present reality, however, is that some of our members are beyond the coercive power or jurisdiction of the Senate. One is on medical leave abroad where the date of her return is still unknown. The other is in hiding. Two are under the custody of the Sandiganbayan or the Bureau of Jail Management,” Tulfo said.

“My question, Mr. Presiding Officer, is this, considering the changing calendar and expedited proceedings, if we were to cast our votes two or three months from now, or next month, or even tomorrow, who among our members can validly cast their votes in the final question?”

The House prosecution panel has asked for Vice President Sara Duterte's admission of authenticity and ownership of bank accounts which the prosecution will present as evidence during the her impeachment trial, saying she can make such an admission without compromising her defense.

Prosecutor Chel Diokno of Akbayan party-list made the manifestation in a 104-page request for admission that the prosecution submitted to the court and the defense during Day 23 of the impeachment trial of the Vice President.

Diokno cited Section 1, Rule 26 of the Rules of Court for civil procedure, which provides that "after the issues have been joined, a party may serve upon another party a written request for admission of the genuineness of material and relevant documents, or of the truth of material and relevant matters of fact."

Further, Diokno invoked Section 2 of the Rules of Court, which states that "matters covered by the Request shall be deemed admitted unless the party upon whom the Request is served submits the sworn response required by the Rule—either specifically denying the matters requested or setting forth in detail the reasons why he or she cannot truthfully either admit or deny them."

Diokno said, "Simple lamang po ang hinihiling ng prosecution. Hinihiling namin sa respondent na kumpirmahin, una, kung genuine o tunay ang mga bank records na isinumite ng mga bangko alinsunod sa subpoena duces tecum na inisyu ng impeachment court. At ikalawa, kung ang mga bank accounts na tinutukoy sa mga records na iyon ay pag-aari ni Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, bilang indibidwal o kasama ang kanyang asawa, ama, kapatid, o anak."

The House prosecution panel on Tuesday said they intend to present Vice President Sara Duterte herself in her own impeachment trial.

Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan informed the Senate impeachment court of such position during Day 23 of the impeachment trial of the Vice President as the prosecution rested the presentation of evidence on Article 1 of the Articles of Impeachment which alleges that the Vice President must be impeached over misuse, if not misappropriation of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds.

The House prosecution panel on Tuesday said that it would forego the presentation of witnesses for Article 1 of the impeachment case, referring to the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan announced this on the 23rd day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte

“Today, we have already presented 10 witnesses and stipulated as to the testimony of 2 witnesses. So a total of 12 witnesses out of 27 witnesses," Kapunan said.

“After a long meeting, the prosecution both public and private prosecutors, have decided today…we have decided to forego, Your Honors, not only with the subpoenaed for today but with all the remaining 15 witnesses,” she added.

Private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia said it was too late for the defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte to say that the unusual names of individuals who received confidential funds are mere aliases after a witness testified that these unusual names have no birth, marriage or death records.

Divinagracia made the point after Philippine Statistics Authority's (PSA) Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande testified Monday that Mary Grace Piattos, Timon Pusa, among other unusual names as stated in the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd’s) acknowledgment receipts submitted to state auditors for liquidation were not found on PSA’s Civil Registry Records.

Likewise, some of the names of confidential fund recipients in acknowledgment receipts submitted by Vice President Duterte's offices matched the records of those people who already died, if not children as young as two months old.

A new set of prosecution witnesses is lined up for Tuesday to testify on Article 1 of the impeachment case regarding the alleged misuse of confidential funds by Vice President Sara Duterte.

According to impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol, the House prosecution panel is scheduled to present first this morning Police Major Jovelyn Magay to answer questions on how the information on the acknowledgement receipts of the confidential funds was written.

“‘Yung PNP question document examiner na ipi-presenta ng House prosecution panel, ang balak na patunayan po ng House prosecution panel… ‘yung pagsulat ng mga pangalan doon sa ARs na ‘yun are done by either one person or two or just a few persons na magkakapareho ‘yung strokes, etc.,” Tongol said in a press conference on Monday.

(With the PNP question document examiner who will be presented, the House prosecution panel intends to prove that the writing of names on the ARs was done by either one, two, or just a few persons with similar strokes, etc.)

“‘Yun ‘yung ina-anticipate po na purpose po nung mag-presinta kay PNP Document Examiner Magay tomorrow,” he added.

(That’s the anticipated purpose when PNP Document Examiner Magay is presented tomorrow.)

With this, Tongol explained that the prosecution maintains that the names listed as payees in the ARs are fictitious people, while the defense is trying to prove that they are aliases.

Should the direct, cross, redirect, and recross examinations of Magay, as well as the interjections of senator-judges, be finished within the day, the Senate impeachment court will call the next person to the witness stand.

Based on the impeachment court’s list, Tongol said the next witness lined up after Magay is Sunshine Fajarda, former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) and incumbent Director VI of the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

Commission on Audit- Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (COA-ICFAO) Assistant Commissioner and Chief Executive Staff Bresilio Sabaldan has also been ordered to testify in the trial. —LDF, GMA News