THE Senate has set the initial timetable for the conduct of an impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Based on the proposed calendar of the impeachment trial released by Senate President Francis Escudero, the trial is set to begin on July 30, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The presentation of the Articles of Impeachment by the prosecutors, which is composed of lawmakers from the House of Representatives as well as the approval of the revised rules of procedure on impeachment trials, was scheduled on June 2, the resumption of sessions of the 19th Congress.
On June 3, the impeachment court will convene, and the incumbent senators serving as judges will take their oath, while the issuance of summons is scheduled for June 4.
The reception of pleadings will take place from June 14 to 24, while the pre-trial will start on June 24 to July 25.
On July 28, the Senate and the Congress will inaugurate the 20th Congress and they will hear the State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the afternoon.
The newly elected senators will take their oath as the trial’s judges on July 29.
The letter, which includes the proposed timetable, was sent to the members of the Senate as well as to Duterte and House Speaker Martin Romualdez for reference.
'Adjustments'
In a press briefing, Escudero said there may still be adjustments to the timetable depending on the discussion of the senators upon the resumption of sessions on June 2.
“Hindi ito nakaukit sa bato. Hindi ito 'yong mangyayari na talaga... para magkaroon sila ng ideya na at habang recess matimbang na nila kung ano talaga ang gusto nila at ano ang magiging pasya ng mas nakararami kaugnay niyan,” Escudero said.
(This is not set in stone. It's not something that will definitely happen... the goal is for them to have an idea, and during the recess, they can weigh what they truly want and what the majority's decision will be regarding this.)
Escudero also signed Special Order No. 2025-015 (OSP) Series of 2025 for the establishment of an administrative support group that will assist the Senate when it convenes as an Impeachment Court for the trial.
Under the order, the Secretary of the Senate was designated as the clerk of the Senate sitting as an Impeachment Court in accordance with the Rules of Procedures on Impeachment Trials.
The Secretary of the Senate has the authority of the Senate President to issue administrative orders, directives, and guidelines as necessary to support the clerk of court.
The order also outlines the detailed responsibilities and designations of support offices and personnel from the Senate Secretariat to provide comprehensive legal, technical, administrative, and general staff support to the Clerk of Court.
The primary offices involved include the Office of the Senate Legal Counsel, the Office of the Deputy Secretary for Legislation, and the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms, all of which will also act as Deputy Clerks.
Escudero ensured that the impeachment trial will be done in accordance with laws and procedures to avoid more delays in the future.
Duterte impeachment complaints
On February 5, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte on the basis of the seven articles of impeachment, which was endorsed by over 200 lawmakers from the lower house.
Among the bases of the impeachment complaints were Duterte’s alleged involvement in a conspiracy to assassinate President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., his wife, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez; the malversation of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as secretary from 2022 to 2024; and bribery and corruption within the DepEd.
Meanwhile, Ako Bicol party-list Jil Bongalon, one of the 11 members of the House prosecution team, said their preparations for the upcoming trial are almost complete noting that they were already able to screen witnesses who he refused to name yet.
“We are prepared (to prosecute) in those seven Articles (of impeachment). We are preparing our documentary evidence, and we have a list of the witnesses to be presented in order to corroborate or substantiate the allegations against the Vice President,” Bongalon said.
“We don't need to prove all the seven articles. Just (presenting sufficient evidence on) one article is sufficient to convict the Vice President. If assuming that in one article is already enough and we were able to convince the senators, sitting as senator-judges, then we can waive the second until the seventh article,” he added. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)