The Senate Impeachment Court has unveiled an updated timetable running from September to November 2026 for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Presiding officer Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero announced the revised calendar on Day 23 of the trial on Tuesday, September 8, explaining that the adjustments will allow lawmakers to balance the judicial proceedings with urgent legislative tasks, particularly the passage of the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.
Prior to releasing the revised calendar, Escudero suspended the scheduled Wednesday, September 9 hearing.
The pause came after House prosecutors chose to drop their remaining 15 witnesses for Article I, which addresses the alleged misuse of confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
The court granted the prosecution’s request to utilize September 9 and Thursday, September 10 for marking evidence related to Article II, which centers on the Vice President’s alleged unexplained wealth. Trial proceedings are set to resume on Monday, September 14.
Under the revised timetable, the upper chamber will split its days between impeachment duties and legislative responsibilities:
- September 14–16, 21–23, and 28–30: Morning impeachment sessions (10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.), followed by afternoon budget hearings and regular Senate floor business.
- September 17–18 and 24–25: Dedicated entirely to full-day budget hearings.
- September 30: Session suspended.
- October 1–2, 5–9, and 12–15: Full-day impeachment trial sessions.
- October 16 to November 8: Trial suspended to allow senators to focus on committee-level budget deliberations and drafting the Senate’s version of the spending measure.
When plenary deliberations on the national budget start the week of November 9, trial sessions will remain largely paused.
“When we resume on November 9, we shall be taking up the budget via floor deliberations for the succeeding two weeks,” Escudero said.
“We are still trying to squeeze in a trial date in those two weeks at least one but I’m not sure yet,” he noted.
“So, most likely trial will be suspended until November 18, that’s a Wednesday. And shall resume if at all on Thursday or Friday, 17 or 18, or the following week already via regular schedule and programming,” the presiding officer emphasized.