BATANGAS CITY, Philippines. On October 26, at the Monday Circle breakfast forum in Manila, Representative Gerville Abanilla Reyes-Luistro gave a rare personal account of her path from small-town lawyer to lead prosecutor in the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, according to Rappler.
The trial's outcome, she acknowledged, will likely decide her own political future. Conviction could open a path to the Senate. Failure could fracture her hard-won base in Batangas, where pro-Duterte loyalties run deep.
Who is Jinky Luistro?
Luistro represents the 2nd District of Batangas and chairs the House committee on justice, one of the most powerful posts in the chamber. She won her seat in 2022 by a two-percentage-point margin against the incumbent's daughter, then won reelection decisively in the May 2025 midterms under the Lakas-CMD banner.
Her entry into politics was not a career calculation. In 2020, local rivals filed two fabricated rape charges against her husband, then-Mabini Mayor Noel Bitrics Luistro, to derail his planned 2022 congressional run. Forensic verification showed the alleged victims did not exist. Local leaders urged the lawyer to run in his place, and she adopted the campaign moniker Jinky Bitrics.
She is proud of her hometown, the coastal enclave of Anilao, known worldwide as the Nudibranch Capital of the World for its shell-less, neon-colored sea slugs that draw international divers and underwater photographers. Like those creatures, she noted, a small profile can command global attention.
From state counsel to justice committee chair
Luistro earned a dual degree in Liberal Arts-Commerce and a Juris Doctor from the University of Batangas, passing the bar in 2002. While studying law, she taught full-time at the Lyceum of Batangas and served as executive assistant to then-justice secretary Hernando Perez.
Her public service record includes work as a confidential agent for the Bureau of Immigration, consultant for the Department of Justice's Witness Protection Program, and state counsel. Under the Arroyo administration, she headed an investigation for a Special Presidential Task Force probing corruption at the Department of Finance, work that fed into a landmark 2014 Supreme Court ruling affirming the dismissal of corrupt officials. From 2016 to 2022 she served as municipal administrator of Mabini.
The impeachment gamble
As justice committee chair, Luistro was chosen to lead the 11-member House prosecution panel in the Senate trial of the Vice President. On October 13, day 39 of the trial, the panel withdrew three of the four articles of impeachment, dropping charges on confidential funds, bribery, and grave threats to focus entirely on unexplained wealth.
Luistro said the move answered public impatience, streamlining the trial and shortening the defense's presentation timeline, which begins November 9. She stressed the dropped charges were not an acquittal: the evidence will be transferred to the Office of the Ombudsman for independent criminal prosecution.
She also acknowledged the personal risk. The Vice President retains the right to counter-sue the prosecutors if acquitted, a possibility Luistro said her team is fully prepared to face.
What happens next for Luistro?
The stakes are national and local at once. Leading an aggressive prosecution against a Duterte risks alienating conservative voters in her own district, and pro-Duterte senators have threatened to obstruct the proceedings.
Luistro said she is not intimidated. What matters, in her words, is standing up for the preservation of the Constitution, love of country, transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct in government.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the prosecution drop three impeachment articles?
Luistro said the panel withdrew the charges on confidential funds, bribery, and grave threats on October 13 to streamline the trial and shorten the defense timeline. The evidence on those counts goes to the Ombudsman for possible criminal prosecution.
When does the defense presentation begin?
The defense presentation in the Senate impeachment trial is scheduled to start on November 9.
What is Jinky Luistro's home district?
She represents the 2nd District of Batangas and previously served as municipal administrator of Mabini, Batangas from 2016 to 2022.