Impeachment trial moved to afternoon

MANILA, Philippines — To expedite the slightly delayed impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, the Senate has reached a consensus to flip its daily schedule, moving regular legislative sessions to the morning to pave the way for open-ended, marathon trial hearings in the afternoon.

Speaking to dzBB yesterday, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian confirmed that senator-judges have formally agreed to the adjustment to prevent the historic proceedings from dragging into next year.

“Although there is already a consensus, we will implement it within the week,” Gatchalian said, stressing that if the current pace continues, the trial could extend into next year.

Under the current setup, the impeachment court is confined to morning hours because the Senate must convene its regular legislative session at 3 p.m.

This limits the prosecution and defense teams, as typical trial days require six to seven hours to properly examine witnesses and present arguments.

Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri recently proposed a solution: holding the legislative session at 10 a.m., which usually takes only a few hours, and then opening the impeachment trial at 3 p.m. so it would no longer be hampered by the regular calendar.

“One of the things we are discussing is reversing the schedule. On average, an impeachment trial takes six to seven hours. It is actually very long. And because it is held in the morning, it is limited because we have our session at 3 p.m.,” Gatchalian explained.

“So one of the things we are considering is switching the schedule so we can hold the trial in the afternoon again and make it longer,” he added, stressing that the Senate aims to deliver a verdict before the year ends.

With the Senate also preparing to tackle the proposed 2027 national budget, Gatchalian admitted that the grueling marathon hearings will inevitably take a physical and mental toll on everyone involved.

“We will really get burned out. Our senators are only human, especially our staff. We will really get burned out. But we also want to finish this impeachment trial as soon as possible,” the Senate president admitted.

“If this continues at this pace, I can see this extending into next year. But our target is hopefully to finish by December. That is why the Senate will adjust its schedule so that we can achieve our target of one witness per day,” he added.

Despite the looming exhaustion, he said lawmakers are willing to put in the extra hours to swiftly conclude the trial and return the chamber’s full attention to its primary duties.

“We want the Senate to return, so to speak, to its normal legislative functions. So our senators agree that we should find a way to lengthen the trial each day,” he noted.