Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito described the chamber’s crowded schedule as a major challenge as lawmakers juggle committee hearings, budget deliberations, and the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a radio interview on Thursday, Ejercito said senators are struggling to accommodate their various responsibilities because the impeachment proceedings are held from Monday through Wednesday each week.
“Ang kakaiba kasi kasabay ngayon ng impeachment kaya napakahirap ng scheduling namin,” Ejercito said.
“Ang sikip [ng schedule], sobrang tight. ‘Yun ang challenge ngayon,” he added.
Ejercito noted that budget deliberations previously had the entire week available for hearings. With the impeachment trial now taking up three days, however, budget proceedings have effectively been compressed into Thursdays and Fridays.
The senator, who heads the Senate Committee on Finance and serves as one of the senator-judges in the impeachment trial, said he has been forced to manage both responsibilities simultaneously.
“‘Yung sinabi ni Sen. Win totoo po ‘yun nakakadrain po may impeachment tapos may plenary ka,” he said.
Ejercito said he reviews budget proposals and documents from various government agencies while also keeping track of the arguments and developments during the impeachment proceedings.
“Hindi mo maiaalis sa akin, syempre kailangan kong mag-multi-tasking dahil hindi ko matatapos itong budget deliberation, at ‘yung pagsasalansan dito kung hindi ko siya gagawin during the rest of the day… Sa totoo lang nagmumulti-tasking ako minsan na habang nakikinig ako ay nagrereview din tayo ng budget ng iba’t ibang departamento,” he said.
To address the scheduling constraints, the Senate temporarily suspended its usual rule prohibiting committees from conducting hearings while the plenary is in session.
The arrangement allows budget briefings and other committee activities to continue even while the impeachment trial is underway, giving senators additional time to complete their legislative responsibilities.