MANILA, Philippines — Instead of the “bloodbath” she claimed she was eager for when she was first impeached last year, Vice President Sara Duterte now seems to prefer a “bubble bath,” based on her response to the charges, a private prosecutor in her imminent trial said on Thursday.
Veteran litigator Lorna Kapunan, one of the 10 volunteer lawyers who will assist the 11-member House prosecution panel, supported a statement by the prosecutors’ spokesperson, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, who said that the defense strategy was to evade a hearing of the case against the first Philippine Vice President to ever be impeached twice.
“If we remember, she said before, to quote a previous, maybe longtime statement, that there would be a bloodbath that would occur. But where is that bloodbath? What I can see, personally, is that it is a bubble bath, not a bloodbath,” Kapunan said during a news conference.
Adiong earlier said that Duterte’s reply to the articles of impeachment did not contain any rebuttal or evidence against the charges but consisted only of rehashed arguments about the alleged lack of due process.
READ: Solon: Sara Duterte has no defense in impeach case, only seeks dismissal
The core impeachment complaints against her in February 2025 and in May 2026 are substantially the same—culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, bribery, and high crimes.
Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, the head of the House prosecution team, introduced Kapunan, a litigator for 48 years, and other private volunteer lawyers to reporters.
‘All annexes!’
Kapunan noted that Duterte’s defense team submitted on June 1 a “very thick reply” to the articles of impeachment that was made so by numerous annexes that were attached.
“What were those annexes? Annexes that aren’t new, annexes that she filed in the Supreme Court, annexes that she filed in the House committee on justice. All annexes!” she said. “But if you look at her answer, there was really no allegation, no statement as to what [evidence] they will present.”
READ: Kapunan asks Duterte: Why avoid impeachment trial if you’re brave?
“If you had evidence, why are you afraid to submit your answer?” Kapunan added. “I would have thought that the Vice President was more courageous and more transparent, since her spokesperson and defense team said they were very much ready.”
Speaking in Davao City after the first impeachment case was submitted to the Senate in February last year, Duterte said her defense team’s preparations were in full swing, despite not wanting a trial to proceed.
“But I told them that I truly want a trial because I want a bloodbath,” she said, without elaborating.
That trial was aborted when the Supreme Court ruled in July 2025 that her impeachment then was unconstitutional for violating the one-year bar against multiple impeachment proceedings against the same official.
A month later, she said she still “wanted a bloodbath.” This time she elaborated. “It means,” she said, “that I wanted the prosecution and the defense to show their pieces of evidence so we can see everything. But unfortunately, that won’t happen for now.”
Need not reply
Last Monday, the prosecution team led by Luistro submitted a manifestation, telling the Senate Impeachment Court that there was no need for them to reply to Duterte because she did not address the material allegations, and chose to stick to technicalities to seek a dismissal of the impeachment case.
However, Luistro said she expected Duterte’s team to have still prepared evidence to counter the charges.
Duterte’s second impeachment was supported by 257 House members who voted in favor of adopting House Resolution (HR) No. 989, which contain the articles of impeachment. There were 215 who supported the first impeachment case last year.
The trial is set to begin on July 6.
Private lawyers
At Thursday’s news conference, Luistro said Kapunan and the other private lawyers would provide legal assistance to the House prosecutors for free. She said there were many others who wanted to volunteer.
“They believe in the mandate of transparency and accountability,” Luistro said of the volunteers. “They support the mandate of the Constitution, and that is the ultimate and sole reason why they are joining the public prosecutors in this impeachment trial.”
The private lawyers were drawn from several of the country’s top law firms—Kapunan and Castillo Law, which also fielded Sonya Margarita Benemerito Castillo, Deanna Melissa Lorenzo Singian, Lino Chris Kapunan, and Bettina Zamora; Pecabar Law, represented by F Marforth Fua, Erwin Matib, Justine Anne Lamarca, and James Bryan Ibrahim Alih; and SaLiGal Law with Amando Ligutan, who previously served as counsel for a group of complainants that filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte.
They are expected to enter their appearance on June 15, according to Luistro, when the House prosecution team submits its pretrial brief containing the summary of evidence and witnesses for the trial.
“We are confident in the private prosecutors who are helping us, because they are known as outstanding lawyers, or what we call as abogado de campanilla,” Luistro said.
Needing refreshers
The House prosecution panel is composed of lawyers who have not been practicing for some time.
“It’s been a while since they litigated, so they need to be refreshed on the current rules of procedure, among others,” said Fua, who was described as a “straightforward and no-nonsense litigator” by his firm. “We are here to see to it that they get the necessary support.”
Kapunan said “very serious legal issues” that strike at the heart of accountability were at stake in the impeachment trial.
“That is why I’ve committed my time, and my law firm’s time, to assist the public prosecutors here in their very worthwhile cause, which is the issue of public accountability,” she said.
Holding Duterte accountable for alleged wrongdoing will not be an “easy task,” Ligutan said.
“But it is a task that we do not take lightly,” he said. “This is a solemn obligation that we have to the Filipino people to exact accountability, even from the highest officials of the land.”
Win: Still 16 to convict
The specific charges against Duterte include alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, amassing unexplained wealth disproportionate to her lawful income as a public official, failing to disclose all her assets, and contracting an assassin to kill President Marcos, first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Duterte’s conviction will need 16 votes from the 24-member Senate, which has been rocked in a leadership dispute between Senate President Pro Tempore and acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who is still clinging to the Senate presidency.
Gatchalian said in a statement on Wednesday that the required two-thirds vote “is a constitutional mandate and unaffected by any internal Senate leadership arrangement or dispute,” citing Article XI, Section 3(6) of the 1987 Constitution.
According to Gatchalian, there are currently 22 members over whom the Senate has jurisdiction. The two others are Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who has been declared a fugitive from justice for evading an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who is detained without bail for plunder in connection with the flood control corruption scandal.
For Duterte, the Senate crisis reflects the leadership of the President himself.
“The chaos and lack of direction in our country reflect the kind of leadership we have in the Palace and in our administration,” Duterte said on Wednesday.
“Everyone recognizes the direction of a leader—when there is no direction, no vision, people really end up going their separate ways. That is what we are seeing, not just in the Senate, but across the entire country,” she added.
Duterte called on the Senate to set aside their differences and determine their priorities, including their constitutional duties. —With reports from Tina G. Santos and Zacarian Sarao /atm
