LIVE UPDATES: Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial (November 9, 2026)

The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will resume Monday after nearly a month-long suspension, with the defense set to begin presenting its case-in-chief.

The defense team has listed over 20 intended witnesses for November 9 to 13, with law professor Dean Ralph Sarmiento being the first. He, however, declined to testify as a witness and the defense later withdrew its request to the impeachment court to subpoena him.

Given that Sarmiento will no longer be presented as a witness, the defense is expected to push through with Atty. Suzette Balucanag-Punay, the corporate counsel of Gencorp Industries, Inc. and Metro City Chow Foods Corporation—two of the entities linked to the Vice President.

Balucanag-Punay is set to testify on relevant corporate and business matters linked to Duterte and produce certified true copies and/or original copies of the General Information Sheets, Audited Financial Statements, and all other related corporate records from 2022 to 2025.

But House lead prosecutor and Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro earlier said the defense could also resort to “dilatory tactics" when the trial resumes, such as filing a demurrer to evidence or insisting on presenting evidence related to the three Articles of Impeachment that the prosecution had withdrawn.

She said Duterte’s counsel might attempt to raise matters concerning the dropped articles during the proceedings, but the prosecution would oppose such moves.

“Bagaman prerogative nila 'yan to file the proper remedy they believe will be appropriate given the situation, we're really hoping na mag-proceed sila sa presentation of evidence,” Luistro said last week.

(Although it is their prerogative to seek the appropriate remedy they believe is warranted under the circumstances, we are really hoping they will proceed with the presentation of evidence.)

During the trial on October 13, the House prosecution panel dropped three out of the four Articles of Impeachment leveled against the Vice President, saying its case would stand on Article II alone on alleged unexplained wealth due to non-full declaration of assets and non-divestment of business.

The withdrawn impeachment articles were: Article I on confidential funds; Article III on bribery; and Article IV on assassination plot, grave threats, and inciting to sedition against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker and incumbent Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez.

The impeachment court will convene at 10 a.m. today and will suspend trial in the afternoon to pave the way for the plenary session. —Giselle Ombay/LDF/KG, GMA News