Sara Duterte trial: Bribery charge may be dropped over 2027 budget talks

MANILA, Philippines — Prosecutors may drop the bribery charge in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial if they cannot present evidence before the Senate turns to the 2027 national budget, prosecution spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said Sunday.

He said prosecutors aim to finish presenting evidence against Duterte by mid-October, when the Senate is expected to prioritize discussions on the proposed P7.2-trillion spending plan for next year.

“Our goal is to wrap up our presentation of evidence before the break. So if there isn’t much time left … that could be a major factor for us not to present evidence with respect to bribery anymore,” he told DZRH radio in mixed English and Filipino.

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READ: Senate sets Sara Duterte impeach trial schedule for September-November

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The Senate is facing a tight schedule as it conducts Duterte’s impeachment trial while preparing to discuss next year’s budget. The trial is expected to conclude before the 2028 presidential election, in which Duterte has expressed interest in running.

Senators will devote the start of October to full-day trial sessions before giving way to budget debates that will run until mid-November. The trial may resume in late November, according to Senate Impeachment Court Presiding Officer Francis Escudero.

READ: Bribery rap vs VP Sara Duterte may be dropped to speed up trial

Prosecutors disclosed earlier this month that they were considering whether to present or drop the impeachment article alleging that Duterte bribed Department of Education officials to skirt procurement rules when she was education secretary.

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“That decision involves many factors we are currently considering,” Tolosa said.

He also said prosecutors are weighing whether they need to present all financial documents tied to the current charge of unexplained wealth being presented by lawmakers.

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“There are so many of those, so we will see if we still need to present all these bank records,” he said in Filipino.

Duterte’s impeachment trial centers on four charges alleging that she misused hundreds of millions of pesos in confidential funds, amassed unexplained wealth, bribed officials and threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the first lady, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

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She has denied any wrongdoing, calling the effort to remove her from office “politically motivated.” /mcm