Senate President Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian assured the public on Tuesday that the impeachment court will carefully examine every piece of evidence presented against Vice President Sara Duterte, as her trial moved into the presentation of witnesses on its second day.
In a Facebook post, Gatchalian said the senator-judges will thoroughly review each item of evidence and testimony brought before them. “You can count on us to carefully scrutinize every evidence and testimony that will be presented in the trial,” he wrote in Filipino. He added that the process is being conducted in accordance with established rules to safeguard the integrity of the proceedings.
The assurance came as the Senate impeachment court resumed the trial on July 7, 2026, with the House prosecution panel set to begin presenting evidence under Article IV, which covers alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The prosecution moved to present a video in which Duterte allegedly made threatening remarks, telling the court it would play only a two-minute, 18-second clip from footage that runs more than two hours, according to Inquirer.net’s live coverage. NBI Senior Agent John Mark Calilung, a digital forensics specialist, was among the first witnesses called to the stand.
Duterte, who skipped the opening day, arrived at the Senate past noon on Tuesday to meet with her defense team. Speaking briefly to reporters, she said she would be “bloodied but unbowed,” as reported by GMA News, but declined to answer further questions or confirm whether she would attend the session.
While Gatchalian presided over the court’s formal opening on Monday, the senator-judges elected Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero as presiding officer of the impeachment court under amended Senate rules adopted on June 3, 2026. Duterte faces four Articles of Impeachment covering alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and grave threats. The Senate has allotted 92 trial days for the proceedings, and a conviction would require the votes of at least two-thirds of all senators.
