Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano confirmed on Thursday that the upper chamber has officially received the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, marking the beginning of a historic legal proceeding scheduled to commence early next week.
Addressing reporters at his office, Cayetano announced that the Senate is prepared to fulfill its constitutional mandate as a trial body.
“The secretariat has been directed to include the articles of impeachment in the calendar for ordinary business for referral to the impeachment court, which shall be convened on 18 May 2026, 3 p.m. or at the possible soonest time.”
While the date is set, Cayetano noted that the timeline hinges on the potential for procedural debates among lawmakers.
He emphasized that the majority bloc is satisfied with the status quo and is not looking to introduce new hurdles that might stall the process.
“I’m not accusing anyone of delays, I’m saying it won’t come from the majority kasi nag-meeting kami kagabi, we are happy with the former rules.”
The Senate leader warned that any attempts to overhaul the existing framework would necessitate a new publication period, thereby pushing back the trial. However, he remains optimistic about a swift start.
“Ang problema, made-delay kung babaguhin pa yung rules kasi ipapublish pa ulit yun. If everyone agrees on the rule, I do not see any reason why hindi kami makapag-convene sa Monday.”
Cayetano also highlighted the challenge of managing the Senate’s workload, noting that while the impeachment is a priority, legislative responses to national crises cannot be abandoned.
He suggested that the court’s schedule would depend largely on the urgency of other economic matters.
“So the biggest issue for me is the balancing between the legislative work given the mga crisis na humaharap. Kung maganda takbo ng ekonomiya and we don’t need any urgent legislation, pwedeng mag-90 to 95 percent sa impeachment court.”