Senate weighs afternoon impeachment sessions to speed up VP Sara Duterte trial

The Philippine Senate is considering shifting its daily impeachment trial proceedings to the afternoon in a bid to conclude the case against Vice President Sara Duterte before Christmas, Senate President Win Gatchalian said Thursday.

Gatchalian noted that while the proposed schedule change remains on the table, it is still subject to consultations with prosecutors, defense counsel, Vice President Duterte, and fellow senators—including members of the minority.

The Senate initially aimed to process one witness per day, but proceedings have repeatedly run over schedule. One witness took three days to testify, while the most recent required two.

“As much as we can tapusin na, and as much as possible one witness per day, pero hindi nangyayari [it isn't happening],” Gatchalian said.

Despite the delays, leadership remains hopeful about finishing before the holiday break. “Hopefully, 'yan ang goal namin. Ang goal namin sa aming mga pag-uusap before, hopefully before Christmas nga eh [Hopefully, that is our goal. In our previous discussions, the goal was to finish before Christmas],” he added.

The trial currently consumes about half of the Senate's working day, squeezing the time available for legislative business—including crucial hearings on the proposed 2027 national budget.

To address the backlog, Gatchalian said the chamber is considering suspending its rules to allow the Committee on Finance to conduct budget hearings concurrently while the trial is in plenary session.

“We will suspend the rules for the Committee on Finance para kahit nagpe-plenary kami, pwede silang mag-hearing [so that even if we are in plenary, they can hold hearings],” he said, adding that this arrangement could take effect by the second week of September following discussions with Finance Committee Chairman JV Ejercito.

However, Gatchalian ruled out extending trial proceedings to weekends, citing the heavy workload on Senate staff who prepare briefers, analyze documents, and manage administrative logistics for both legislative and judicial duties. Extending to weekends, he noted, poses a real risk of staff burnout.

He also dismissed the idea of holding trial proceedings online during severe weather, emphasizing that the nature of the trial requires physical attendance.

For now, the impeachment trial remains scheduled from Monday through Wednesday mornings, with potential adjustments still under review.

-Paraluman News