NUPL urges Senate to uphold accountability in impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte
The NUPL calls on the Filipino people to remain vigilant and engaged throughout this process. Transparency and justice are not gifts handed down by those in power—they must be fought for and demanded.
February 5, 2025
NUPL
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers is a nationwide voluntary association of human rights lawyers in the Philippines, committed to the defense, protection, and promotion of human rights, especially of the poor and the oppressed.

The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) welcomes the House of Representatives’ decision to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte. This indictment is a vital step toward accountability at the highest levels of government. We now urge the Senate to conduct a thorough and fair trial.

At the core of the impeachment are grave allegations of corruption involving over ₱612.5 million in confidential funds, rapidly depleted with discrepancies pointing to fabricated recipients—an alarming betrayal of public trust, especially amid an economic crisis. Duterte is also accused of issuing death threats against the President, First Lady, and House Speaker, as well as playing a role in extrajudicial killings, including the hundreds of summary executions carried out by the Davao Death Squad when she was still Mayor of Davao City. These charges depict an official who has repeatedly resorted to violence and repression as tools of governance.

The impeachment process is a constitutional safeguard designed to ensure that government officials are held accountable for misconduct. More than a legal proceeding, this trial is a defining moment that will test whether our democratic institutions can deliver justice and break the deeply entrenched culture of impunity. It is an opportunity for the Senate to show that accountability is possible, even when the powerful are on trial.

The NUPL calls on the Filipino people to remain vigilant and engaged throughout this process. Transparency and justice are not gifts handed down by those in power—they must be fought for and demanded.

Reference:
Atty. Josalee S. Deinla
+639174316396

Photo by Kodao Productions

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