Sheila C. Sison
Sheila C. Sison | |
|---|---|
| Lead Defense Counsel for Vice President Sara Duterte in her Impeachment Trial | |
| In office January 2021 – Present | |
| Preceded by | None (Position created upon promotion) |
| Senior Partner of the Fortun Narvasa & Salazar Law Offices | |
| Assumed office 2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sheila C. Sison Philippines |
| Citizenship | Filipino |
| Education | University of the Philippines Los Baños (BA) San Sebastian College – Recoletos (LLB) |
| Occupation | Lawyer, trial litigator |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Sheila C. Sison is a Filipino lawyer, corporate trial litigator, and legal analyst.[1] She serves as the lead defense counsel for Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial before the Senate of the Philippines.[2] Sison is a senior partner specializing in criminal and civil litigation at the Fortun Narvasa & Salazar Law Offices.[3]
Education and academic credentials
Sison graduated from the University of the Philippines Los Baños with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts.[1] She later completed her Bachelor of Laws degree at San Sebastian College – Recoletos, where she graduated as class valedictorian and was a full academic scholar.[4] Sison was admitted to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in 2014.[5]
Legal career
Following her admission to the bar, Sison joined the Fortun Narvasa & Salazar Law Offices, focusing her legal practice on criminal defense, appellate practices, family law, and corporate disputes. She handled white-collar crime defense litigations before the Sandiganbayan.[1][2] Between 2015 and 2019, she was named the law firm's "Lawyer of the Year" for five consecutive years.[2]
Aside from private litigation, Sison serves as a legal expert and corporate consultant on regulatory governance compliance. Her public sector work includes advising on municipal state enterprise regulations and serving as a consulting legal professional for many public sector projects involving statutory accountability limits.[3]
Impeachment trial lead counsel
In June 2026, Sison was designated to lead the 16-member defense panel representing Vice President Sara Duterte in her formal Senate impeachment trial.[6][7][8][9] On July 6, 2026, during the opening session of the impeachment court presided over by Senate President Chiz Escudero, Sison delivered the defense's opening statement.[10][11] In her address, she raised constitutional arguments regarding the mandate of the 32 million voters who elected the Vice President, and cited the Supreme Court's July 2025 decision which had invalidated an earlier impeachment attempt on the grounds of grave abuse of discretion.[12][13]
During subsequent trial sessions, Sison handled oral arguments on procedural motions, managed evidentiary objections against testimonies presented by private prosecutors, and directed the defense's courtroom cross-examinations of state witnesses.[14][15]
Personal life
Following her appearances in the national media during the trial, social media claims emerged asserting that Sison was the daughter of the late veteran lawyer and Ipaglaban Mo! television host Jose C. Sison. Separate fact-checking investigations published by Rappler, GMA News Online, and The Philippine Star refuted the claims, noting that public family records and columns written by Jose Sison verified he had only one daughter, named Joyce, who died in 2003.[16]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Who is Sheila Sison, VP Duterte's lead defense lawyer?". Manila Bulletin. June 21, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Who is Duterte's lead defense counsel Sheila Sison?". ABS-CBN News. July 6, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Murcia, Alvin (July 7, 2026). "Who is Atty. Sheila Sison?". Daily Tribune. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Atty. Sheila Sison, lead counsel for Vice President Sara Duterte". fnslaw. July 13, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "List of Lawyers: S". Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Sara Duterte's lead counsel NOT a daughter of Ipaglaban Mo host Jose Sison". VERA Files. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ UNTALAN, SHERYLIN (2026-07-13). "Is defense lawyer Sheila Sison the daughter of lawyer Jose Sison? Here's what we found so far". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ "Shiela Sison lead defense of VP Sarah". Remate ph.
- ↑ Flores, Bombo John (2026-06-22). "ALAMIN: Atty. Sheila Sison, mangunguna sa defense ni VP Sara sa impeachment trial". Bombo Radyo News. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ "Fact check: VP Sara's lead counsel Sheila Sison is not Jose C. Sison's daughter". The Philippine Star. July 14, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ Rubrico, Jayson (2025-02-25). "Statement of Atty. Sheila Sison, counsel of the Vice President". SMNI NEWS CHANNEL. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ "Sara Duterte's defense opens trial with 'never forget' slogan". INQUIRER.net. July 6, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ Antonio, Sean (2026-06-22). "KILALANIN: Ang lead defense lawyer ni VP Sara Duterte na si Atty. Sheila Sison". Balita. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ Ager, Maila (July 7, 2026). "Private prosecutor calls out 'walkout' by Sara Duterte's lead counsel". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Shiela Sison defense team on trial". politiko.com.ph. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ "FACT CHECK: VP Sara's counsel Sheila Sison not the daughter of lawyer Jose Sison". RAPPLER. 2026-07-14. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
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