Impeachment court lets prosecutors drop charges against VP Sara Duterte, leaving one

Centre · 2On Tuesday 13 October 2026 the Philippine Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, approved prosecutors' request to withdraw further charges against Vice President Sara Duterte, leaving the unexplained-wealth allegation as the only remaining count. 1 2 Centre · 2CNA reports that the charges dropped on Tuesday were the misuse of funds and an alleged death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos, after prosecutors had asked the previous week for a bribery charge to be removed. Reuters, carried by the South China Morning Post, describes the withdrawal as three of four charges: misuse of confidential funds, bribery and alleged threats against Marcos, the first lady and a former House speaker. 1 2 Centre · 1Presiding officer Senator Francis Escudero said Articles 1, 3 and 4 would no longer form part of the Articles of Impeachment and would not be put to the senators for a vote. 1

Centre · 2Chief prosecutor Gerville Luistro said the evidence on unexplained wealth, which concerns allegations that Duterte failed to declare all assets, could stand on its own and was "substantial and compelling" enough to warrant removal from office. She said focusing on one charge would narrow the issues and speed up the end of the trial, which began on 6 July. 1 2 Centre · 1The move came unexpectedly on the trial's 39th day, after prosecutors had put 14 witnesses on the stand and presented weeks of evidence behind the withdrawn charges. 1 Centre · 2Chief defence lawyer Sheila Sison called the ruling "completely unfair"; Reuters reports the defence argued it would be unable to present its case on the withdrawn allegations. Duterte's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 1 2

Right · 1IJR, whose report was published earlier on Tuesday, described the withdrawal as a motion that remained subject to the impeachment court's action, and said Luistro believed the evidence on Duterte's wealth and financial transactions was sufficient to support her removal. 3 Centre · 1Conviction on any count would permanently bar Duterte, daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, from elected office and could end her bid for the presidency in 2028; CNA says she still leads independent polling for that election. 1 Centre · 2Last month the court ruled that the two-thirds guilty verdict required of "all members of the Senate" counts only senators "capable of participating". CNA says at least four senators loyal to Duterte are absent (two in jail, one in hiding, one on medical furlough abroad), so only 14 of 24 votes are needed to convict; it describes the ruling as widely seen as a blow to Duterte. 1 2