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On the ninth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senator-Judge Robin Padilla asked the House prosecution to avoid being "one-sided" or biased in the proceedings.
Senator Padilla made the statement while questioning the credibility of some prosecution witnesses, including officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), as well as the use of the affidavit of Arturo Lascañas, which he said contained conflicting statements and could therefore be considered unreliable.
"Sana hindi one-sided ang ating persekusyon." Senator-Judge Padilla said.
[I hope our prosecution will not be one-sided.]
In a statement after the hearing, Senator Padilla clarified that his reference to being "one-sided" pertained to the need for the discussion of issues in the impeachment trial to be fair and balanced.
He stressed that he was simply asking for fairness in the treatment not only of witnesses but also of the senator-judges involved in matters related to the trial.
The Senate impeachment court reminded National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag to leave rulings to the senator-judges during the ninth day of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial on Wednesday, July 22.
During cross-examination, defense lawyer Mark Vinluan questioned Matibag on the NBI's use of former police officer Arturo Lascañas' affidavit, which claimed Duterte was among the architects of the previous administration's anti-drug war. Vinluan asked whether the NBI relied on the affidavit without issuing a subpoena for Lascañas to verify his claims.
Matibag said the NBI instead pursued a verification process.
When Vinluan repeated the question, Matibag responded that it had already been "asked and answered po, your Honor," raising an objection typically made by opposing counsel rather than a witness.
Meanwhile, impeachment court presiding officer Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero, appearing amused by the exchange, reminded Matibag that rulings on such objections are for the impeachment court to make.
Escudero nonetheless granted the objection, noting that Matibag was correct that the question had already been answered.
The exchange was among the lighter moments of the day's proceedings, which focused on Article IV of the impeachment complaint covering Duterte's alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The Office of the Ombudsman will begin its preliminary investigation into the plunder and Anti-Money Laundering Act violation complaints against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
According to Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano, based on the initial investigation, the former House Speaker is being considered a "central figure" in the flood control scam.
In connection with this, the Palace emphasized that President Ferdinand Marcos will not interfere in the investigation involving his cousin.
"Wala po, hindi po makikialam ang Pangulo sa anumang pag-iimbestiga. Sabi nga po natin at ang sabi rin po ng Pangulo, kahit sino po ang maapektuhan dito, kung saan po pupunta ang ebidensiya, sundan na lang po natin." Palace Press Officer USec. Claire Castro said.
(There is none, the President will not interfere in any investigation. As we've said, and as the President himself has said, whoever gets affected by this, wherever the evidence leads, we will just follow it.)
Meanwhile, USec. Castro denied the allegation of ACT Teachers Partylist Representative Antonio Tinio of selective justice, wherein administration allies involved in the flood control anomaly have not yet been charged.
According to the Palace official, the justice system requires evidence and due process, and not mere accusations.
"Iyong mga hindi halos sanay sa mga humaharap sa korte o nagsasampa ng kaso, puwede nilang sabihin na nababagalan sila. Pero sa riyalidad, kapag kayo po mismo ang nandudoon at nagsasampa ng kaso, malalaman ninyo na itong ginagawa ng Ombudsman, ng DOJ ay napakabilis na po."
(Those who are not really used to appearing in court or filing cases may say that things are moving slowly. But in reality, when you yourselves are there and filing a case, you will find out that what the Ombudsman and the DOJ are doing is actually very fast.)
USec. Castro also challenged critics who are growing impatient over the accountability of those involved in the said anomaly.
"So, lahat ng mga naiinip, kung mayroon na kayong ebidensiyang kongkreto, go ahead and file the cases now."
(So, to all those who are impatient, if you already have concrete evidence, go ahead and file the cases now.)
Manila, Philippines – After lengthy deliberation, the Senate impeachment court granted the prosecution's request for a subpoena covering the financial records of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Included in the subpoena are the peso-denominated bank records of VP Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, Carpio Lawyers, and nineteen (19) companies with direct links to the vice president.
Also included are Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) records, including suspicious and covered transaction reports, which will first undergo in-camera review.
Also covered are the BIR tax records of the vice president and related entities, as well as her financial records from 2007 to 2021, as a factual baseline for the allegation of unexplained wealth.
The court, however, did not grant the request for a subpoena covering the JTC Group of Companies and Pikimong Philippines Corporation due to insufficient connection to the case, as well as the foreign currency deposits of VP Duterte, her husband, Carpio Lawyers, and related companies, since these are protected under the Foreign Currency Deposit Act.
The impeachment court ordered that the approved documents be submitted on July 30, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.
The court emphasized that the documents may only be used to examine the allegation of unexplained wealth and not to add a new impeachable offense.
Documents subpoenaed by the impeachment court:
Presiding Officer Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero explained the rationale behind the court's ruling.
"These requirements are intended to ensure that the subpoena is not used, as mentioned earlier and discussed earlier, as a tool for a fishing expedition." Senator Escudero said.
Vice President Sara Z. Duterte's rating remains stable while President Marcos Jr.'s trust rating dropped, based on the latest Social Weather Stations or SWS survey results.
Based on the results of the 2026 second quarter survey, President Marcos Jr.'s trust rating dropped to 34%, while Vice President Sara Duterte's remained at 57%.
Data show a continuing downward trend in the President's trust rating, from 64 percent in July 2024 through the early part of 2025.
It only recovered slightly to 48% in June 2025, but dropped again in the following months, down to 34% in the latest survey.
Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte's trust rating remained at 57% this June 2026, the same figure she obtained this past March, according to SWS.
However, there was a slight increase in the number of Filipinos who said they have 'little trust' in the Vice President, as well as in the number of undecided respondents.
The second quarter SWS survey was conducted from June 20 to June 29, through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 Filipino adult respondents.
