QUEZON CITY – House of Representatives Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Representative Marcelino Libanan has been named lead prosecutor in the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte before the Senate Impeachment Tribunal.

Libanan is a lawyer with extensive experience in governance and legal affairs. He previously chaired the House Committee on Justice and also served as a Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration under the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The impeachment complaint accuses VP Duterte of multiple serious offenses, including her death threats against the President, First Lady, and House Speaker; alleged misuse of confidential funds and fraudulent expenditures; unexplained wealth; and links to the notorious Davao Death Squad and her father’s bloody drug war. 

VP Duterte has consistently said she has not violated any laws even as she filed and several lawyers and citizens filed petitions before the Supreme Court questioning the impeachment complaints and how the House proceeded with the complaints.

VP Duterte is still in The Hague in Netherlands attending to the needs of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and vowed to return to the Philippines to face the impeachment tribunal. Her father himself has advised her to immediately return to the Philippines.

Duterte assured that she continues to do her job as vice president even while in The Hague.

Duterte is facing a Senate trial on charges of “violation of the constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption and other high crimes.”

Sixteen votes in the 24-seat Senate are needed to deliver a conviction that would bar her from public office, including a presidential run in 2028 she said she is “seriously considering.”

This developed as the Senate as an impeachment court will no longer accept any requests to move deadlines or any delaying tactics regarding the impeachment trial of VP Duterte, Senate President Francis Escudero said.

Escudero rejected the House prosecution panel’s request to immediately summon the Vice President to answer the Articles of Impeachment against her while Congress is in recess until June 2.

“We cannot do what they are asking for simply because we are not in session. They should know about it,” the lawmaker from Sorsogon said.

Escudero maintained that Duterte can only be sent a summons or asked to comment once the impeachment court is convened, which can only happen when the Senate resumes session on June 2.

The Senate leader said June 2 is the earliest date the impeachment court can convene, while June 3 is the soonest they could issue a writ of summons to the Vice President.

In a motion filed with the Senate, House prosecutors led by Libanan requested the Senate to issue a writ of summons to compel Duterte to respond regarding the Articles of Impeachment against her.

“Articles of impeachment can only be presented when the Senate is in session, and the impeachment court can only be convened through the swearing in of Senate members. This can only happen when Congress is in session; it cannot be done during recess, and the distinction between the two is clear,” Escudero said in response to Libanan.

The Senate President further advised the prosecutors not to rush the proceedings, as doing so might leave them vulnerable.

At the same time, Escudero expressed confidence that the Senate would be able to pass more bills during the last six session days of the 19th Congress in June, even as it convenes as an impeachment court.

At a press conference, Libanan clarified that they are not pressuring the Senate, but rather only performing their constitutional duty.