Vice President Sara Duterte. Screenshot from an INQUIRER.net video

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s request for the Senate to shoulder the defense panel’s catering costs and other arrangements for the impeachment trial comes off as improper and funny at the same time, House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Janette Garin said.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Garin and members of the House prosecution panel were asked about Duterte’s letter dated July 7, 2026 and addressed to Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, where she requested that they source food and beverage from the accredited caterer of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), and for its cost to be shouldered by the Senate.

“The request for catering, it is the right of the defense and we respect that.  But with the question on the request for the Senate to shoulder the expenses, it will be best for the Senate to answer that.  But I find it highly improper,” Garin told reporters.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Lacson confirms OVP catering request; Poa says Senate isn’t paying

“Because our Vice President has an office and they can actually charge all those expenses to their office,” she added.

Garin was then asked if such a request endangers the independence of each side in the impeachment trial — the defense, the Senate Impeachment Court, and the prosecution panel.

According to Garin, the risks to the independence would happen only if it were the prosecution or the defense that offered to shoulder the expenses of the Senate Impeachment Court.

READ: Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial: Article IV highlights

Article continues after this advertisement

Still, Garin said she finds Duterte’s request “funny,” saying that she has not heard of such a setup in a regular courtroom proceeding.

“If it’s the prosecution or the defense providing for the catering and the food of the senator-judges, that is really prohibited, but if it’s requesting the judges to provide for the food of the defense, it is quite funny, sorry,” Garin said.

Article continues after this advertisement

“It’s like saying that if you are in a hearing, you will tell the court ‘oh, shoulder the costs for the food of our lawyers and our colleagues.’  That usually does not happen, and you know this is an impeachment court, it can also be misconstrued — of course, with due courtesy as the Senate because they should be the one to answer that […] but it can be misinterpreted as disrespect to the court,” she added.

On Wednesday, copies of Duterte’s letter were released to the media, showing her request for food and beverage from OVP’s accredited caterers due to “legitimate security concerns.”

According to the letter, Duterte requested that all food and beverages for her team and witnesses be served only in their designated holding room for their safety, and that the Senate shoulder the costs for these arrangements.

“As these arrangements are required solely in connection with these proceedings, the OVP respectfully requests that the Senate shoulder the reasonable costs of food and beverage and catering services for the defense team, support staff, and witnesses,” Duterte said in the letter.

“The requested measures are necessary to safeguard the safety and well-being of the defense team, support staff, and witnesses, ensure their full and effective participation, and support the orderly and uninterrupted conduct of the proceedings,” she added.

But Garin said the reason behind Duterte’s request itself may be offending to the Senate, as there was an assumption that the meals from the Senate may be bad for them.

“So it’s not only a request for the Senate to shoulder the food for their lawyers and defense members, but also part of the letter is that the caterer should not be from the Senate.  […] that is an issue because you seem to doubt the Senate that the food that they will serve the people may have placed poison,” Garin said.

“That may be insulting to the Senate, because that seems to be far-fetched… I mean nobody in his right mind would plan to poison anybody that enters the premises of the Senate,” she added.

This is not the first time that Duterte’s requests for a caterer became an issue.  Early into the impeachment trial, Duterte grabbed headlines not only because of the proceedings, but because OVP inquired about the possibility of bringing its own equipment, including a refrigerator and coffee maker, to the holding area assigned to the defense panel.

The request was made by OVP chief-of-staff and Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, while the information about the request was provided by Senate Secretary and impeachment clerk of court Renato Bantug Jr.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Bantug clarified that such requests are not unusual, noting that the prosecution team contracted their own caterer and brought in their own equipment. /mr