DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 18 May 2026) – Progressive groups staged a protest on Monday to urge senators to conduct an impartial and fair impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and to stop turning the proceedings into a circus.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano earlier announced that the chamber will convene as an impeachment court this week.
During a protest held at Freedom Park along Roxas Avenue, Rauf Sissay, a secretariat member of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Southern Mindanao Region, said the senators should serve the interests of the Filipino people rather than protect the corrupt.
He said that once the Senate convenes for the impeachment trial, senator-judges should ensure accountability from Duterte, who has been accused of misusing confidential and intelligence funds, among other allegations.
Sissay said progressive groups fear that allies of the Vice President in the Senate may again attempt to delay the impeachment proceedings under Cayetano’s leadership like they did during the first impeachment case in 2025 under then-Senate President Chiz Escudero.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on May 11, with a vote of 255 in favor, 26 against, and nine abstentions, and transmitted four articles of impeachment to the Senate on May 13.
Article 1 pertains to the misuse of confidential funds using questionable documents; Article 2 concerns the transactions and unexplained wealth in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth compared to her declared income; Article 3 cites the issue of bribery in exchange for influence and favor from officials of the Department of Education; and Article 4 cites threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
“The impeachment trial must not be reduced to a political spectacle or elite infighting. This is fundamentally about public accountability and the Filipino people’s demand that no public official [should] be above the law,” Sissay added.
He said the “impeachment process and the recent political maneuvering and commotions in the Senate last week expose the deeper culture of impunity and bureaucrat-capitalism embedded in the Philippine political system.”
He said that their group demands accountability not only from Duterte but also from government officials involved in corruption, misuse of public funds, abuse of authority, and anti-people policies.
Allysa Ancheta, chair of Gabriela Youth-Davao, said the impeachment process is long overdue and must proceed forthwith.
She said Duterte must answer for the misuse of public funds during her tenure as Education secretary.
She said the education sector does not need confidential and intelligence funds but better classrooms, facilities, and student services.
“The youth and the broader Filipino people must continue to monitor the impeachment trial and demand transparency. We cannot allow impunity and corruption to continue while ordinary Filipinos suffer from worsening economic conditions, rising prices, and attacks on democratic rights,” she said.
She said the fight against corruption is inseparable from the struggle for genuine democracy and social justice.
“The people deserve leaders who serve with integrity and accountability. All the corrupt must be held accountable and punished,” she said. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
