Garin: VP camp resorting to delaying, diversionary tactics in impeach trial
By Saghir Hussain ·
Prosecutors in the Philippine Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte have dropped three of four charges, a tactical retreat the prosecution says was forced by the defence’s deliberate strategy of delay and diversion.
A Strategic Withdrawal
The lead prosecutor, former congressman Garin, told the Senate sitting as an impeachment court on Friday that the panel withdrew allegations of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the constitution, and graft. Only the charge of bribery remains. Garin argued the defence team had signalled it would file endless motions, demand repetitive witness recalls, and challenge every procedural ruling — tactics designed to push the trial past the constitutional deadline. “They are not defending the merits,” Garin said. “They are defending the calendar.”
The move strips the trial of its broader constitutional weight, narrowing the Senate’s judgement to a single, fact-specific bribery count tied to the alleged misuse of confidential funds. Duterte’s camp denounced the withdrawal as an admission of weakness. “The prosecution knows its case is hollow,” said lawyer Vic Rodriguez, the vice president’s chief counsel. “They are cherry-picking to avoid a public drubbing.”
Why It Matters Beyond Manila
For a UK audience, the Philippines might feel distant, but the stakes are familiar. The archipelago is a treaty ally of the United States, a pivotal node in the Indo-Pacific security architecture, and a flashpoint in the South China Sea where Chinese coastguard vessels routinely harass Philippine resupply missions. Political instability in Manila does not stay in Manila. A vice president openly at war with the president — Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — while an impeachment grinds through the Senate, creates a vacuum that Beijing watches closely and Washington worries about.
British businesses have growing exposure, too. UK-Philippines trade topped £2.3 billion last year, with British firms active in renewable energy, financial services, and business process outsourcing. The Philippines is also one of the world’s largest sources of seafarers; roughly one in five merchant mariners globally is Filipino. Political turbulence that disrupts governance, licensing, or maritime administration ripples through global supply chains.
The Geopolitical Stakes
The Duterte name still carries weight. Sara Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, retains a loyal base and faces an International Criminal Court investigation into his “war on drugs.” The ICC probe proceeds regardless of Manila’s cooperation. A weakened vice presidency could embolden the ICC, but it could also trigger a domestic power struggle that distracts from external defence — precisely the scenario regional partners fear.
Marcos, for his part, has kept public distance from the impeachment, but his allies dominate the Senate. Critics say the administration benefits from a neutered vice president ahead of the 2028 presidential race. Supporters argue the process is working: a co-equal branch checking another.
The trial resumes next week. The bribery charge will be tested. But the real verdict may have already been delivered: in a democracy where procedure can be weaponised, the side with the better calendar often wins.