Prosecution May Abandon Bribery Count in Vice President Duterte Impeachment

In the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, the prosecution team is reportedly moving to drop the bribery accusation outlined in Article 3. House prosecution spokesperson and Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong told a radio interview that the panel has not finalized the decision but the direction appears to be to forgo that charge. He explained that the discussion is focused on what follows after the Senate Impeachment Court addresses Article 2, which concerns Duterte's unexplained wealth.

Adiong argued that the evidence presented in the first three articles may already satisfy the burden of proof, questioning the need to extend the trial further. He emphasized that the prosecution's goal is to achieve justice for the Filipino people, not merely to sustain a trial. The Senate Impeachment Court continues to examine Article 2, while the bribery allegation relates to alleged payments to Department of Education officials during Duterte's 2022-2024 tenure as education secretary.