Senator-judges reach consensus on schedule of VP Duterte trial— Senator Gatchalian

The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte could extend into next year as the Senate struggles to maintain its target of completing one witness per day, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Friday.

Gatchalian said senator-judges have already reached a consensus on whether to move the proceedings back in the afternoon, with the Senate expected to act on the matter within the week.

The proposed schedule change is being considered as the Senate prepares to take up the proposed 2027 national budget, which could further limit the time available for the impeachment proceedings.

Gatchalian said the Senate is considering holding its legislative session in the morning and have the impeachment trial in the afternoon to give the prosecution and defense longer hours to present their cases.

“Isa sa mga pinag-uusapan namin ay pagbaliktarin ‘yung oras. Dahil on the average, ang impeachment kumukuha ng 6 to 7 hours. Actually, napakahaba. At dahil nga sa umaga siya, limitado siya dahil may session kami ng 3 o’clock,” Gatchalian said.

“So isa sa mga pinag-aaralan, ipagpalit para ibalik ulit natin para mas mahaba siya. One to sawa,” he added.

The proposal was earlier raised by Senator-Judge Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, who suggested holding the Senate’s legislative session at 10 a.m. before starting the impeachment trial at 3 p.m.

Zubiri said the arrangement would prevent the Senate’s legislative calendar from cutting short the impeachment proceedings and allow both sides more time to present their arguments.

But Gatchalian acknowledged that extending the trial hours could come at a cost, particularly for senators and their staff who have already been working long hours.

Despite the possible schedule adjustment, Gatchalian said the Senate’s target remains to finish the impeachment trial by December.

He admitted, however, that the current pace of proceedings and work suspensions caused by inclement weather could push the trial into 2027.

“‘Pag ganito ang takbo, parang nakikita ko ay next year, pwede pang tumawid ito. Pero ang target namin hopefully, by December. So kaya nga mag-aadjust na lang ang senado sa oras para ‘yung target na one witness, one day ay magawa natin,” he said.