Who are the prosecutors in Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial?

5 months ago 27

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With an overwhelming 240 signatories, the House of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte on charges of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

Now, the case moves to the Senate, which will sit as the impeachment court. But for 11 lawmakers from the House, their role isn’t over yet — they will serve as prosecutors in the historic trial.

Here’s a closer look at the lawmakers tasked with making the case against Duterte:

Loreto “Ton” Acharon

Loreto Acharon is the representative of the lone district of General Santos City. Prior to his House stint, he served as vice mayor of General Santos City from 2019 to 2022. He is the son of former mayor Pedro A. Acheron. His older brother, Pedro, had served as South Cotabato first district representative and mayor of General Santos City.

He graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University Law School in 1987, along with former interior secretary Benhur Abalos.

Romeo Acop

Romeo Acop is the representative of Antipolo City‘s 2nd District of Rizal. He previously held the position from 2010 to 2019, before his wife, Resurreccion, succeeded him in 2019. She served until her death due to COVID-19 in May 2021.

A retired police general, Acop is a member of the Philippine Military Academy’s Magiting Class of 1970. He earned a law degree from Jose Rizal University in 1986. Acop served as chief of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Jil Bongalon

Raul Angelo “Jil” Bongalon is a neophyte lawmaker representing Ako Bicol Partylist. He earned his undergraduate degree from Bicol University and completed his law degree at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in 2016.

He serves as vice chairperson of several key committees, including Appropriations, Bicol Affairs and Economic Development, and Ethics and Privileges.

Joel Chua

Joel Chua, a lawyer, represents Manila’s 3rd District. Though a newcomer to the House of Representatives, having been elected in 2022, he was appointed chair of the good government and public accountability committee — the panel that led the probe into Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of funds.

Chua was among the first lawmakers outside the Makabayan bloc to openly criticize the Vice President, calling for her resignation as education secretary as early as April 2024.

Prior to his House stint, Chua served as Manila councilor from 2007 to 2013, and again in 2019. He began his career in public service as a legal consultant for then-senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid from 2004 to 2005, then as technical staff for the late Negros Occidental representative Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo from 2005 to 2007.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from UST, a law degree from San Sebastian College-Recoletos Manila College of Law, and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of the Philippines (UP).

Lorenz Defensor

Iloilo 3rd District Representative Lorenz Defensor comes from a family with a long political legacy. His father, Arthur Defensor Jr., currently serves as Iloilo governor, a position once held by his great-grandfather. Prior to his election as congressman, he served as provincial board member representing Iloilo’s 3rd District.

Defensor is a senior partner at Salazar Enrile Defensor & De Mata Law Offices and previously served as a legal officer for SMC Global Power Holdings Corporation. He earned his political science degree from UP and his law degree from UST.

Jonathan Keith Flores

Bukidnon 2nd District Representative Jonathan Keith Flores entered politics in 2019, defeating outgoing Malaybalay City Mayor Ignacio “Iñaki” Zubiri. At the time, he ran under the then-ruling PDP-Laban with the endorsement of party chair and then-president Rodrigo Duterte.

Flores come from a political family. His father, Dr. Florencio Flores Jr., was a three-term Malaybalay mayor (2001–2010) before serving as the district’s representative (2010–2019). Florencia made a comeback at city hall in 2019, and held the position until his death in 2022, as he sought another term.

Rodge Gutierrez

A neophyte lawmaker and a lawyer by profession, Ramon Rodrigo “Rodge” Gutierrez is one of the breakout stars of the 19th Congress. The party-list lawmaker from motorists’ welfare group 1-Rider has often been singled out online for his sharp line of questioning during the hearings of the good government and quad committees.

While he is a member of the minority on paper, his inclusion in the Young Guns bloc — a group of congressmen under 40 fully supportive of the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez — has made him more closely associated with the House majority.

Gerville Luistro

She does not have a key post in the House, but Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro has arguably become the most recognizable freshie congresswoman of the 19th Congress, largely due to her feisty interpellations during the most high-profile congressional inquiries of the lower chamber.

A former prosecutor, Luistro has tapped into her legal background to interrogate actors involved in the POGO (Philippine offshore gaming operators) mess and the Rodrigo Duterte-era extrajudicial killings, including the former president himself.

Marcelino ‘Nonoy’ Libanan

Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan has been the House minority leader since 2022. While he delivers the annual contra-SONA in the House, a speech that is considered a rebuttal of the President’s State of the Nation Address, he is not considered the leader of the opposition. When Albay congressman Edcel Lagman was still alive, he had refused to join the House minority, arguing it had been coopted by allies of the administration. He sometimes accompanies Speaker Romualdez in his activities outside the House.

Libanan represents 4Ps, among the topnotchers of the 2022 party-list race, and remains a formidable force in Eastern Samar politics, having served the province as its vice governor and lone district representative in the past. He toyed with the idea of returning to the congressional post of the province in 2025, but later dropped the plan.

Arnan Panaligan

Another first-term lawmaker in the House, Arnan Panaligan has kept a relatively low profile in the chamber. Still, he is an assistant majority leader, and is the regional chairman for Mimaropa of Speaker Romualdez’s party Lakas CMD.

Before he was elected to Congress in 2022, most of his political career had been as a local chief executive. A staple in Oriental Mindoro politics since 1995, he had been the province’s governor and mayor of its capital Calapan.

Ysabel Maria ‘Bel’ Zamora

Ysabel Maria Zamora, district representative of San Juan, comes from a family of politicians. Her sister Pammy is congresswoman in Taguig, and her half-brother Francis is mayor of the city she represents. Most notably, she is the daughter of Ronaldo Zamora, who preceded her in Congress and was the executive secretary of former president Joseph Estrada when he was impeached by the House.

She used to be the treasurer of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s party PDP, but she jumped ship to Lakas CMD in August 2024. She is currently an assistant majority leader in the House. She got her degree in political science and law from UP. – Rappler.com

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