Senate President Win Gatchalian admitted on Tuesday that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will likely extend into December, as senators struggle to balance the high-stakes proceedings with discussions on the proposed 2027 national budget.
Gatchalian noted that his previous goal of concluding the trial by November is becoming unfeasible due to the Senate’s packed calendar.
“Parang hindi na kaya ng November from the looks of it. So I’m sure, tingin ko tatawid ito ng December,” Gatchalian told reporters in an ambush interview.
The trial is set to resume on November 9, with Duterte’s defense team scheduled to present their witnesses and evidence regarding the remaining charge against the Vice President.
According to Gatchalian, senators agreed to prioritize the impeachment proceedings before temporarily suspending them to focus on the national spending bill.
“Ang naging arrangement ay yung impeachment trial. Pagpasok namin, we’ll have the impeachment trial. Tapusin muna lahat ng impeachment as much as possible,” he explained.
The upper house plans to pause the trial for about a week to a week and a half for plenary budget debates before resuming the impeachment hearings if required.
This tight schedule creates heavy pressure on lawmakers, especially with upcoming bicameral negotiations to reconcile the Senate and House versions of the budget.
Gatchalian stated that bicam discussions could start roughly a week after plenary deliberations conclude, depending on how fast senators review the measure. He also pointed to potential friction with the House, recalling how disagreements stalled bicameral meetings last year.
“Last year nag-clash, no? In fact, mayroong times nga na nacancel yung bicam. So, as much as possible, we’ll find a common ground,” Gatchalian said.
Despite the tight timeline, the Senate chief emphasized the need for fairness, noting that the defense has yet to present its case.
“To be fair sa respondent, di pa na-present ang defense yung kanilang ebidensya at testimony so pakinggan muna natin,” he said.
Furthermore, Gatchalian dismissed claims that the defense is restricted to an eight-day window for its presentation, stating he had no knowledge of such a limitation.
“Wala akong alam na ganun. We leave that to the defense kung ano yung mga i-pepresent,” he added.