Senate President Vicente Sotto III announced Tuesday that the Senate is prepared to begin the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte roughly two weeks after receiving the formal Articles of Impeachment from the House of Representatives.
Sotto said the chamber can convene as an impeachment court as early as the day after the articles are transmitted. With Congress set to resume session on May 4, 2026, he outlined a possible timeline:
“Let’s say, by May 5, mag-convene. Within a month, matagal na ‘yun… Ako, tingin ko mga in a matter of two weeks, more or less two weeks, siguro nakahanda na ‘yun,” Sotto told reporters.
He emphasized that the Senate will act without delay once the documents are received.
“I will act on it with dispatch. Definitely, forthwith. As soon as the Senate receives it, I will inform the Senate and refer it to the Committee on Rules,” he said.
Sotto dismissed debates over the interpretation of “forthwith,” a constitutional term that previously sparked controversy.
“I know what the meaning of forthwith is,” he added.
Constitutional Basis
Article XI, Section 3(4) of the 1987 Constitution mandates that once an impeachment complaint is endorsed by at least one-third of the House, the Senate shall “forthwith proceed” to trial.
Preparations will include drafting procedural rules and organizing the Senate floor for the prosecution and defense teams once the legislative break ends next month.