Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

RG Cruz

Marilyn Cahatol

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177752468366920260430030456_a7cea25c00120fb93282d5b3704dd8aa680991ef5da070852edde760312fbcb6 (2).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Members of the Senate of the Philippines on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 convene as an impeachment court to try the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. <em>Joseph B. Vidal, OSP/Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate Social Media Unit</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATE) </strong>— Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Thursday said the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte may continue during sine die adjournment—if articles of impeachment are transmitted to the Senate for trial.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/30/sara-duterte-lawyer-says-inciting-to-sedition-grave-threat-evidence-curated-even-spliced-1114">Sara Duterte lawyer says inciting to sedition, grave threat evidence &#x27;curated, even spliced&#x27;</a></div><p>&quot;Tuloy-tuloy yun, separate naman yung impeachment trial sa session eh, so yung sine die adjournment will not in any way affect the schedule of the impeachment trial,&quot; Lacson explained.</p><p>The Congress is scheduled to go on break on June 5, according to Senate President Tito Sotto.</p><p>Sotto said the timetable is crucial as the Senate may only receive the articles of impeachment while on session, despite the impeachment court being separate from the upper chamber.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/29/house-finds-probable-cause-duterte-impeachment-now-up-to-plenary-1618">Sara Duterte impeachment now up to House plenary after panel finds probable cause</a></div><p>Manila Third District Rep. Joel Chua earlier said the plenary may vote on the impeachment case on the second week of May.</p><p>“If ever pinasa nila [May] 11, then 12 ita-transmit nila, edi dapat 13 we will discuss it already and convene as an impeachment court,” Sotto said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>SOTTO CALLS FOR ALL-SENATOR CAUCUS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Sotto has called for an all-senator caucus on Thursday to prepare for the Senate’s agenda next month, including the House’s possible transmission of the articles of impeachment.</p><p>“Bago mag-resume ang session, I usually call for an all-senator caucus to discuss the possible agenda that we may be able to pass. More so now, dahil there is a possibility na the articles of impeachment might be transmitted by the House,” Sotto said.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1700498554298366%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span>He stressed however that “as of now, everything is speculative, if ever.”</div><p>“So what we will be doing in this caucus is to discuss the agenda for the next month and the last month of the first regular session of the 20th Congress,” he said.</p><p>“And the possibility of receiving the articles of impeachment, then we will discuss the possibility of what preparations should be done and the timetable,” he added.</p><p>The Committee on Justice on Wednesday found probable cause to send the two impeachment complaints against Duterte to the House plenary. The panel is set to meet again on Monday, May 4, to approve the committee report that will be transmitted to the Committee on Rules.</p><p>Sotto assured the Senate has enough budget from last year to convene an impeachment court.</p><p>“Napakahalang nakahanda kami because our countrymen are looking at this very seriously. Mino-monitor nila yung sa House. So they will expect us to do our job once we receive it.”</p><p>The complaints are grounded on various accusations against Duterte, including her alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth and a supposed assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Duterte has repeatedly denied the allegations.</p><p>Duterte’s defense team said the finding of probable cause “was not unexpected, given the direction the proceedings had taken.”</p><p>The team added they &quot;respectfully maintain that the proceedings before the Committee departed from the constitutional design.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Instead of confining itself to the verified complaints and their attachments, the process expanded into matters that properly belong to a full trial,&quot; it noted. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UmVMq43z4sc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WqCizN6UHCQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Thursday said impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte may continue during sine die adjournment, if articles of impeachment are transmitted to the Senate for trial.</p>

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Thursday said impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte may continue during sine die adjournment, if articles of impeachment are transmitted to the Senate for trial.

Senate may hold VP Sara impeachment trial during break

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Senate may hold VP Sara impeachment trial during break

RG Cruz,

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 30, 2026 12:43 PM PHT

|

Updated April 30, 2026 01:19 PM PHT

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Senate

Sara Duterte

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