The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is expected to begin on July 6, with the Senate planning a compressed weekly schedule to accommodate both legislative work and trial proceedings, according to Sen. Erwin Tulfo.
Duterte has until June 1 to submit her answer to the articles of impeachment transmitted by the House of Representatives. After that, House prosecutors will have 10 calendar days to respond, followed by pre-trial proceedings that include the marking of evidence before the full trial formally opens.
Tulfo outlined a proposed weekly arrangement in which regular Senate sessions would be held on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with impeachment proceedings taking up the remainder of those days. Wednesdays and Thursdays would be devoted to trial hearings and pleadings, while committee hearings could extend into Fridays if needed.
“Post-SONA, ayun na po, talagang paspasan na po yun. We will have to dedicate time para sa trial. I think three days for the trial and then one day ang mga session and hearings… Meron pa rin kaming break, Fridays. Pero kung may mga committee na gusto magpa-hearing, then Fridays po ang mangyayari. So instead of three working days lang po kami come July, magiging five na po. Monday to Friday mga trials, mga hearings and sessions,” he said.
The 20th Congress is scheduled for sine die adjournment from June 6 to July 26, but Tulfo confirmed the Senate would return earlier to meet the July 6 target. “Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, medyo magiging maaga ang pagbalik namin. July 6 kailangan umpisahan namin. Forthwith nga po eh,” he said.
The senator added that the trial schedule would be published soon, with Senate President approval already secured. “Pumayag naman po ang Senate President at ang mayorya na i-publish po namin very soon. Siguro po baka next week kung yung mga oras po ng trial at mga sessions po namin,” Tulfo said.
On the House side, Lanao del Sur First District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the prosecution panel has yet to receive formal notice of the schedule but emphasized that his team is ready. “Nevertheless, the 11-member prosecution panel remains fully prepared and stands ready to proceed on whatever schedule the Honorable Court may determine,” he said.
Adiong also pushed back against framing the trial as a regional conflict, particularly given Duterte’s strong political base in Mindanao and Davao. “Bilang kinatawan mula sa Mindanao, nais kong malinaw: ang impeachment trial na ito ay hindi laban sa Mindanao, hindi laban sa Davao, at hindi laban sa anumang rehiyon. Ito ay constitutional process na itinatadhana ng ating batas… The Filipino people deserve a fair, open, and fact-based trial. Hindi ingay ng pulitika ang dapat manaig, kundi katotohanan at due process,” he said.
“July 6 is not the start of persecution. It is the start of due process… Hindi lamang mga personalidad ang huhusgahan ng kasaysayan, kundi kung paano ipinagtanggol ng ating mga institusyon ang katotohanan, pananagutan, at ang Konstitusyon sa panahon na pinakamahalaga ito,” Adiong added.
The 47-year-old vice president was impeached by a large majority of the House last week on charges of graft and an alleged assassination plot targeting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a former ally. Under the Philippine constitution, conviction on any single charge would result in her removal from office and a lifetime ban from holding elected positions. A guilty verdict requires 16 votes from the 24-seat Senate.
Twenty-three senators were present when the chamber convened Monday and took their oaths to render impartial justice. Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa was absent, as he continues to evade an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over crimes against humanity allegations tied to his role in the drug war under former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Sara Duterte has declared her intention to seek the presidency in 2028.
