Senator Gatchalian to preside over VP Sara Duterte impeachment trial

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has confirmed that he will serve as the presiding officer of the impeachment court in the upcoming trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Gatchalian made the statement during a press briefing at the Senate after the new majority bloc amended Senate rules and elected him as Senate President Pro Tempore, effectively making him the acting Senate President.

His appointment follows a period of political transition in the Upper Chamber, which saw Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano elected as Senate President on May 11, before being removed by a bloc of 12 senators who formed the current majority on June 3.

Gatchalian said that under existing rules, the Senate President Pro Tempore assumes the role of acting Senate President, allowing him to preside over the impeachment proceedings in the absence of a sitting Senate President.

He added, “I will consult the clerk of court on what the procedures are. But definitely, when the trial opens, we need to take an oath,” he said.

Gatchalian also noted, “So in the absence of a Senate president I can perform the duties so that administrative issues in the Senate will continue,” he said.

He emphasized , “As long as the institution is moving and functioning, then it is performing its duties.

“For now, it’s the acting Senate president,” he said.