Cebu-based lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan has become an internet sensation while serving as one of 15 private prosecutors assisting the House prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Ligutan, a managing partner at Saligal Law, is leading the prosecution pro bono, citing the need to apply the same standard of accountability to high-ranking officials as is applied to public school employees.
Emphasizing high confidence in the prosecution's case, Ligutan stated they possess a damning list of witnesses and evidence regarding allegations of fund misuse amounting to P612.5 million against the Vice President.
A PROMINENT litigator from Cebu has taken the internet by storm as Filipinos remain glued to their screens for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
With viral memes and video reels flooding social media platforms, lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan has become an overnight internet sensation.
“And why am I trending online?” Ligutan said on Facebook.
Trial performance
As the impeachment trial marked its first week, with proceedings focusing on the alleged grave threats by Vice President Duterte against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Ligutan stood out as one of 15 private prosecutors assisting the House prosecution panel.
He has earned widespread praise from netizens for maintaining a calm demeanor despite constant, aggressive objections from the defense panel during the second day of the trial on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
An established court litigator, Ligutan is leading the prosecution pro bono.
Ligutan’s drive to volunteer stemmed from a case involving a public school principal from Virac, Catanduanes, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pocketing P5,000 in school funds.
The principal fabricated a sales invoice to declare that 28 bags of cement were purchased for P7,000, when only eight bags amounting to P2,000 were bought.
“If we can send somebody, a lowly school principal, to prison for 11 years, what is stopping us from doing the same, holding accountable a higher official like the Vice President?” Ligutan said during a broadcast interview on ANC Headstart on June 12.
He said if Filipinos turn a blind eye and give the Vice President a free pass despite allegations of fund misuse alternating to P612.5 million, it will send a negative signal to the public.
Strong evidence
When asked about his confidence in the trial, Ligutan emphasized the weight of the evidence secured by the prosecution panel.
“As to confidence, the confidence is high. The question is on what basis? Because we know the pieces of evidence, the list of witnesses and we know how damning the evidence we have against the Vice President,” Ligutan said.
“We don’t take this task lightly. We will prosecute this case with all our might, with our strength, as if we are fighting for our life,” he said.
The Cebu-based litigation lawyer is a managing partner of Sapayan Lim Alvarez & Ligutan (Saligal Law) based in Cebu City. He is recognized locally and nationally for representing high-profile civil, criminal and public interest cases. His practice areas include civil and criminal litigation, public interest cases and political and administrative law.
A summa cum laude graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of San Carlos, Ligutan obtained his law degree from the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law.
He was a member of the UP Law Jessup Team that clinched the national championship in the 2008 National Moot Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law and represented the country in international competitions.
He also teaches Labor Law, Remedial Law and Public International Law at the UP College of Law, the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) School of Law and the University of Cebu (UC) College of Law.
Classroom persona
Letting go of his sharp courtroom persona, former students noted his lighter, humorous personality remains evident. Jalina Bajuyo, a former student and now a lawyer, said Ligutan’s classroom humor translates to his trial demeanor.
“How he is in the impeachment trial is the same demeanor he has, except he is funnier in class,” Bajuyo said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
“When the class gets too serious and when he senses that there is information overload, he would insert his dad jokes,” Bajuyo said.
A graduate of the USJ-R School of Law, Bajuyo said Ligutan was her professor for Criminal Procedure, Civil Procedure and Labor Law Review.
“I am very proud that I am one of his students and have learned a lot from him that I can use in my practice as a lawyer,” Bajuyo said. / VEEJAY CATADMAN, UP CEBU INTERN
