Senate ready for VP Sara's arrival in impeachment trial
Published Jul 5, 2026 01:51 pm
At A Glance
- Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, who will also sit as the presiding judge of the impeachment court, expressed hope that the trial will go smoothly and in accordance with the schedule they have agreed upon during the all-senators' caucus last Friday.
Vice President Sara Duterte will skip the April 29 House impeachment hearing, with her legal team insisting the Senate—not the House—is the proper venue for trial. (Photo: Inday Sara Duterte / Facebook)
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said he is also expecting that all senator-judges, both from the majority and minority bloc, except for Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, would be present during the opening of the trial, which will start at 2 p.m.
Even though the Senate impeachment court has made plans for the arrival of the Vice President, Gatchalian said her legal team has yet to confirm if she is going to personally attend the opening of the trial.
“We haven't received any notice (that she will attend). However, under the rules, she is allowed to send a lawyer—or even a representative, as that is permitted. So, inviting her is simply part of the process,” Gatchalian said in an interview over Radio DZBB.
“But it’s also not unusual for it to happen on the very day itself; sometimes, coordination takes place just a few hours beforehand,” the Senate leader said.
“There are indeed many last-minute situations. But we are preparing for every scenario; if our Vice President visits the Senate, we are ready and have coordinated with the police for her arrival,” he assured.
Gatchalian, who will also sit as the presiding judge of the impeachment court, expressed hope that the preliminary trial will go smoothly and in accordance with the schedule they have agreed upon during the all-senators’ caucus last Friday.
He said that any questions that may be raised by the minority bloc led by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, such as the legitimacy of the new majority bloc in the Senate, should be raised when the Upper Chamber is in legislative session.
“This is not going to be a legislative session. This is an impeachment court so we are going to be discussing the preliminaries,” Gatchalian pointed out.
“And the important thing here is for the trial to begin. As we have said, the most crucial aspect is starting the trial so that the evidence can be brought out and presented to the public, and the witnesses can be heard,” he said.
“That is the direction—to reach a decision. As our Constitution mandates, the case must be tried and decided, and this process should be concluded promptly,” he reiterated.
Furthermore, Gatchalian said the Senate will do its best to ensure that the public would be able to fully and easily understand the proceedings by simplifying the process and explain what is happening in layman’s terms.
“This impeachment trial is part of our process of ensuring accountability. It is a crucial process for guaranteeing that our institutions function effectively and for preventing public servants from repeating such misconduct. Therefore, it is vital for our fellow citizens to follow these proceedings…After all, we are doing this for them, so that they may comprehend it,” he said.
The Senate chief also renewed his call for both the defense and House prosecution team to agree to shorten the trial days and reduce the number of witnesses they will present during the proceedings.
“If the testimony is merely corroborative—for instance, if there is a witness simply to corroborate—perhaps one or two would suffice instead of a larger number. That way, the process may end faster, which is better for everyone,” he said.