By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — An intense legal storm is brewing around Vice President Sara Duterte as scores of private lawyers are reportedly volunteering to help secure her conviction in the looming impeachment trial — even without pay.
According to Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson for the House prosecution panel, many members of the legal community have approached prosecutors, offering pro bono services just to be part of the historic case.
“Kahit walang bayad,” several lawyers allegedly signaled, reflecting what Adiong described as growing public interest and intense legal attention surrounding the constitutional showdown.
The Senate has already convened as an impeachment court and ordered Duterte to formally respond to the articles of impeachment transmitted by the House of Representatives. Pre-trial proceedings are expected to begin next month, setting the stage for what could become one of the most explosive political trials in recent Philippine history.
Behind closed doors, the prosecution panel is reportedly undergoing nonstop preparation, including mock trials, legal simulations, and strategy meetings aimed at tightening their case against the Vice President.
Adiong revealed that some private lawyers have already been accepted into the prosecution team, although final decisions on the full roster are still being evaluated.
The House prosecution panel is composed of prominent lawmakers, including Chel Diokno, Leila de Lima, Joel Chua, Gerville Luistro, and other House prosecutors tasked with presenting the impeachment case before the Senate impeachment court.
Vice President Duterte is facing a barrage of allegations that include the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds, questionable Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), alleged unexplained wealth, and controversial threats directed at President Bongbong Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
What is now emerging is no longer just a legal proceeding — but a political and constitutional war attracting some of the country’s most aggressive legal minds.
With private lawyers now scrambling for a seat in the prosecution team, the impeachment battle against Duterte is shaping up to become a courtroom spectacle where political survival, public outrage, and legal firepower collide head-on.
ia/xf
