Duterte impeachment: Ex-law school dean declines to testify for defense

DUMAGUETE CITY — Former University of St. La Salle (USLS) law dean Ralph Sarmiento has declined to testify as a defense witness in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.

“Hindi po ako pwede tumestigo as a witness for either side,” he said.

(I cannot testify as a witness for either side.)

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Sarmiento cited the need to preserve the independence of his constitutional law scholarship and the impartiality of his legal opinions.

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In an official public statement posted on his Facebook page early Thursday, Nov. 5, Sarmiento thanked Duterte’s defense team for recognizing the value of his constitutional and legal analyses, which he had shared on social media.

“I had not anticipated that these views might potentially become part of the impeachment proceedings,” Sarmiento said.

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In a video, Sarmiento said he had decided to decline participation as a witness after careful consideration, stressing that his decision was personal and intended to protect the independence of his academic work.

“This is a personal decision to preserve the independence of my constitutional law scholarship and the impartiality of my legal views and opinions,” he explained.

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The defense had asked the impeachment court to issue a subpoena compelling Sarmiento to testify on “legal and constitutional principles relevant to this impeachment case and on Article II,” which concerns allegations of unexplained wealth against the vice president.

Sarmiento, who recently ended his term as USLS vice chancellor for administration, also asked Duterte’s defense team to withdraw its subpoena request.

If the subpoena had already been issued, he asked the team to seek its recall from the impeachment court.

Sarmiento placed 10th in the 1997 Bar examinations. He has also authored a book on Bar examination logic and a reviewer on international law.

The former dean reiterated his commitment to promoting public understanding of the Constitution through independent and balanced legal analysis. He emphasized his intention to keep his academic work separate from any potential involvement in political and legal proceedings.

Duterte’s impeachment trial is moving to the presentation of the defense’s evidence after the prosecution rested its case.

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Sarmiento’s decision means the defense will have to address its request for his appearance before the impeachment court following his refusal to testify voluntarily.