Things happening in our society that are unacceptable, which we can't ignore any longer
As the Philippines prepares for a consequential impeachment trial, the House prosecution panel has quietly acknowledged its own limitations — drawing in seasoned legal minds to stand alongside lawmakers whose years in legislature had dulled the edge of courtroom practice. The arrival of former Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te and three lawyers from established Manila firms, announced just days before the July 6 start date, reflects something older than strategy: the recognition that moments of civic gravity demand those most prepared to meet them. In a proceeding where the Senate itself becomes the court, the quality of argument may shape not only a verdict but a chapter in Philippine political life.
- The House prosecution panel faced a quiet credibility problem — its members held law degrees but had spent years making laws rather than arguing them, leaving a gap that could not be ignored as trial day approached.
- With less than two weeks before the July 6 Senate impeachment trial, the panel was still assembling its full roster, a last-moment scramble that underscored how much was at stake and how little time remained.
- Four experienced lawyers — including former Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te and attorneys from two prominent Manila firms — were brought in to supply the active courtroom sharpness the panel lacked.
- One of the newly recruited prosecutors, Reynaldo Robles, framed his decision not as a professional opportunity but as a civic obligation, describing forces unfolding in Philippine society that he felt could no longer be left to others.
- The strengthened team now moves toward the Senate chamber, though the precise division of roles — who argues, who strategizes, who researches — remains to be seen as the trial's opening approaches.
The House prosecution panel building its case against Vice President Sara Duterte added four experienced lawyers this week, filling a gap that had grown harder to ignore. The team had been composed largely of lawmakers with legal backgrounds, but years of legislative work had kept them away from active courtroom practice — a liability in a proceeding as demanding as a Senate impeachment trial.
Leila de Lima, a Liberal party-list representative, announced the additions on Monday, just over a week before the July 6 start date. Theodore Te, a former Supreme Court spokesperson and member of the Free Legal Assistance Group, joined alongside Reynaldo Robles and Arnold Labay of Chan Robles and Associates, and Mae Divinagracia of Co Nazario Velasco-Catera and Divinagracia Law Offices. The four brought something the original panel lacked: continuous, active legal practice in major firms.
Robles, speaking in Filipino, described his decision to volunteer in terms that went beyond professional duty. He spoke of things unfolding in Philippine society that demanded participation — language that framed the trial not as a routine legal assignment but as a moment of civic consequence he felt obligated to enter.
What remains open is how the new lawyers will divide their responsibilities — whether arguing directly before the Senate, working strategy behind the scenes, or both. But their late addition signals that the House prosecution understood its original composition as incomplete, and chose to correct that before the Senate chamber doors opened.
The House prosecution panel preparing to argue the case against Vice President Sara Duterte gained four experienced lawyers this week, a move designed to shore up a team that had relied heavily on lawmakers with law degrees but little recent courtroom work. The additions were announced Monday by Leila de Lima, a Liberal party-list representative, as the Senate impeachment trial approached its July 6 start date.
Theodore Te, a former spokesperson for the Supreme Court and member of the Free Legal Assistance Group, joined the panel alongside three lawyers from established Manila firms: Reynaldo Robles and Arnold Labay from Chan Robles and Associates, and Mae Divinagracia from Co Nazario Velasco-Catera and Divinagracia Law Offices. De Lima framed the recruitment as essential preparation for the trial ahead, where the prosecution would need to present a sustained legal argument before the Senate acting as an impeachment court.
The House prosecution team had been composed primarily of lawmakers who held law degrees but had spent years in legislative work rather than legal practice. That gap in active courtroom experience prompted the search for outside counsel. The four new members brought the kind of continuous legal engagement the panel lacked—years of active practice in major firms, the kind of work that keeps a lawyer sharp in argument and procedure.
Robles, one of the newly appointed prosecutors, explained his decision to volunteer by pointing to the weight of the moment. He spoke in Filipino, describing a sense that the case demanded participation, that there were things unfolding in Philippine society that could no longer be ignored or left to others to address. His language suggested this was not a routine legal assignment but something he felt obligated to take on.
The timing mattered. With the trial set to begin in just over a week, the prosecution team was essentially completing its roster at the last moment. De Lima's announcement framed the additions as strengthening the panel, the word choice suggesting the original composition had been understood as incomplete. The four lawyers would now stand alongside the House members as the case moved into the Senate chamber, where the rules of impeachment procedure would govern how evidence could be presented and arguments made.
What remained unclear from the announcement was the specific role each lawyer would play—whether they would argue directly before the Senate, handle research and strategy behind the scenes, or some combination. But their presence signaled that the House prosecution was taking the trial seriously enough to bring in outside expertise at a critical moment, betting that experience in major law firms would translate into effectiveness in an impeachment proceeding.
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We took courage to volunteer because we can no longer just close our eyes while there are things happening in our society that are unacceptable, which we can't ignore any longer— Reynaldo Robles, newly appointed prosecutor
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did the House prosecution team need outside lawyers at all? Weren't the lawmakers themselves trained in law?
They were trained, yes, but training and practice are different things. These lawmakers had been in Congress for years—their legal knowledge was real, but they hadn't been in courtrooms regularly. Impeachment is a specific kind of proceeding with its own rules and rhythms. You need people who live in that world.
So this was about experience, not just credentials?
Exactly. A law degree from twenty years ago doesn't keep you sharp the way active practice does. These new lawyers—they're in courtrooms, they're writing briefs, they're arguing cases. That muscle memory matters when you're standing before the Senate.
Did the announcement say anything about what they'd actually be doing in the trial?
Not specifically. It just said they'd joined the panel. Whether they'd argue directly or work behind the scenes wasn't spelled out. But the timing was tight—the trial starts in a week. This wasn't a leisurely recruitment.
What did Robles say about why he took the job?
He talked about things happening in society that couldn't be ignored anymore, that he couldn't just close his eyes to them. It wasn't framed as a legal puzzle to solve. It was framed as a moral moment that required him to show up.
That's interesting—the personal conviction piece.
Yes. He volunteered. That matters. This wasn't a paid assignment handed down. He chose to be there because he believed the case itself demanded his presence.