“We think we have presented enough (evidence). To drag it further might be stretching the patience not only of the people but also the senator-judges,” said Representative Jonathan Keith Flores, a member of the prosecution team. By eliminating the bribery article, the focus of the trial narrows to the remaining three charges: misuse of state funds, unexplained wealth, and alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family.
Duterte, 48, is the first Philippine public official to be impeached twice by the House. If the Senate finds her guilty on any of the remaining charges, she will be stripped of her vice presidency and permanently barred from holding elective office. This outcome would effectively end her bid to run for president in the 2028 elections, clearing the political field for successors aligned with the Marcos administration.
The removal of the bribery charge coincides with an intense scrutiny of financial records linked to Duterte’s family. On the same day the charge was dropped, prosecutor Jose Manuel Diokno informed the court that the prosecution had presented its final witness regarding the unexplained wealth charge. That witness is scheduled for cross-examination on Monday. The Senate had originally granted prosecutors 60 trial days to present their case before Duterte’s defense team begins its presentation.
Simultaneously, the trial has become a focal point for political disputes over the Philippines’ relationship with China. Allegations that Duterte and her associates have corrupt financial ties to China have been prominently featured in recent proceedings. These claims were ignited by former Senator Antonio Trillanes, who alleged in an October 2 press conference that Cale88 Foods Corporation, a company in which Duterte’s husband, Manases Carpio, held a major stake, received over P319 million ($5 million) in remittances from China-linked entities.
Trillanes had withdrawn from the prosecution’s witness list prior to making these public claims. Critics note that his allegations rest on commercial transactions; Cale88 is an exporter selling banana chips into the Chinese market, making remittances from China ordinary business revenue rather than evidence of state interference. Of the P319 million cited, only three transfers totaling less than P10 million were flagged by banks due to a lack of identified trade justification. However, the allegations were swiftly taken up by the National Security Council and prosecution figures, who framed them as evidence of Chinese “interference” and threats to national security.
During the 37th day of the trial, financial forensic analyst Alexander Cabrera testified regarding these financial flows. He enumerated Chinese corporations that remitted funds to firms linked to Duterte and flagged large single credit card purchases made by Duterte and Carpio, including transactions at locations such as “Nike SM Davao Annex” and “MEGA Don Quijote Shibuya.” Senator Joel Villanueva also raised concerns over Cale88’s 2024 general information sheet, which listed only two employees despite the company reporting P150.6 million in sales and P6.13 million in losses.
Political analysts describe the impeachment trial as a mechanism through which the Marcos administration seeks to neutralize its principal political rival. The Duterte faction represents a section of the political class whose economic interests are more closely aligned with China, seeking to distance Manila from Washington’s strategic confrontation with Beijing. By pursuing the impeachment, the administration aims to eliminate the main political vehicle for improved relations with China.
The trial continues with the Senate panel, which includes 21 of the 24 senator-judges, scrutinizing these financial records. Three senators are absent due to separate legal issues: Senator Bato dela Rosa is in hiding facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, while Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta are detained or suspended in connection with plunder cases. As the prosecution concludes its case on the remaining charges, the political stakes remain high, with the outcome poised to reshape the power dynamics in Philippine politics ahead of the next presidential election.
