Retired Sandiganbayan presiding justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang served as an expert witness during the Senate impeachment court hearing on Monday, September 14, 2026. Joseph B. Vidal / Senate Social Media Unit
Manuel Mogato | September 14, 2026
MANILA — A retired presiding justice of the anti-corruption court Sandiganbayan took the witness stand on Monday to explain the complex anti-corruption laws that will guide senator-judges in reaching a verdict in the Vice President’s impeachment case.
On direct examination, Amparo Cabotaje-Tang talked extensively about her knowledge and experience handling corruption cases, first as a member of the Solicitor General’s Office, and later as a Sandiganbayan justice.
She explained the differences between ill-gotten wealth and unexplained wealth in relation to a government official’s annual filing of statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN).
She also talked about beneficial ownership and other laws governing public officials’ conduct. (Also read: Prosecution plans to subpoena Vice President in her impeachment trial)
Prosecutor Manuel Diokno guided the senator-judges and the public on how a government official should handle public finances and personal wealth, without referring to Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case.
Duterte’s defense lawyers, led by Mark Vinluan, tried to stop Cabotaje-Tang from testifying, arguing she was a surprise witness. (Also read: Defense panel tries to discredit prosecution’s witness at impeachment trial)
When he failed to stop her from testifying, Vinluan tried to cast doubt on Cabotaje-Tang’s credibility, asking her if she was anti-Duterte and a supporter of either the president or former vice president Leni Robredo.
When Vinluan tried to insinuate the retired magistrate could be bribed, she answered: “My opinions are not for sale.”
Prosecutors have started presenting witnesses and documents on the third impeachment complaint: Ill-gotten wealth.
They set to prove Duterte has amassed billions of pesos in cash, stocks, and property, but declared only 88 million pesos in assets.
