Rowegie Abanto

Vice President Sara Duterte. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Vice President Sara Duterte announces her intention to run for the presidency in the 2028 national elections during a press conference at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) headquarters in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Duterte outlines her priorities, including governance reforms, public service continuity, and national development. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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VP SARA DUTERTE

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><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/177907583041620260218-vp-sara-duterte-presidency-MT2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span>MANILA (<strong>UPDATE</strong>) — The Senate on Monday afternoon is set to convene as an impeachment court for the trial of impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, as talk of another leadership shakeup in the chamber swirls.</div><p>Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano has said that he plans to convene the upper chamber as an impeachment court at around 3 p.m. on May 18 despite <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/cayetano-says-senate-minority-trying-to-grow-numbers-1617">alleged plans to unseat him</a> following a gunfire incident on Wednesday when the House of Representatives delivered the articles of impeachment against Duterte.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/12/cayetano-says-senate-to-convene-impeachment-court-forthwith-1524">Cayetano says Senate to convene impeachment court &#x27;forthwith&#x27;</a></div><p>Senators are expected to wear their crimson robes Monday as they sit as judges for the trial of the Vice President, who was <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/11/-2nd-eye-ok-house-impeaches-sara-duterte-again-1702">impeached</a> by a majority of House lawmakers for a second time last week.</p><p>She faces accusations that she misused her office&#x27;s confidential funds, issued threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family, and amassed questionable wealth.</p><p>The Senate is constitutionally required to conduct a trial &quot;forthwith&quot; following an impeachment, but that mandate has been in question as senators allied with Duterte <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/11/cayetano-replaces-sotto-as-senate-president-1539">took control of the chamber</a> on May 11.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/17/gov-t-urges-sc-to-deny-bato-petition-to-block-icc-arrest-warrant-1044">Gov’t urges SC to deny Bato petition to block ICC arrest warrant</a></div><p>But Cayetano has vowed that the Senate <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/11/cayetano-says-senate-will-follow-law-constitution-on-duterte-impeachment-2054">will follow the law and the Constitution</a> in tackling the impeachment complaint against the Vice President, amid concerns that the chamber could vote to dismiss the case even without proceeding to trial.</p><p>He also assured the public that the Senate impeachment trial would be a &quot;fair and independent&quot; process and that senators will decide based on evidence.</p><p>House lawmakers and legal experts have repeatedly said that the Senate cannot outright dismiss the impeachment case of Duterte, arguing that the senators are now mandated to convene as an impeachment court, try the Vice President, and decide on the case.</p><p>Lawyer Domingo Cayosa, former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, said that trial by the Senate is not optional.</p><p>&quot;Hindi po ito puwedeng i-shortcut at i-dismiss na lang kasi hindi yan yung essence ng impeachment,&quot; he told ANC on Monday.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/17/house-prosecutors-ask-senator-judges-exhibit-political-neutrality-1804">House prosecutors ask Senator-Judges: Exhibit political neutrality in impeachment trial</a></div><p>Palace Press Officer Claire Castro meanwhile said that impeachment trial is the job and mandate of the Senate and that all those liable for any wrongdoing in government should be held accountable.</p><p>&quot;Hindi kailangan na makialam ang Pangulo sa mandato ng Senado dahil mayroon po tayong separation of powers,&quot; Castro said on Monday.</p><p>&quot;Ang pagpapalit ng liderato sa Senado ay kanilang aktibidad. Walang kinalaman ang Pangulo kung magpapalit sila o hindi. Nasa kanila po iyan,&quot; she added.</p><p>Duterte&#x27;s lawyers have repeatedly said that they are ready for a trial at the Senate. The Vice President earlier claimed that there was no single evidence to support the allegations against her.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/15/diokno-any-motion-to-dismiss-impeachment-case-violates-constitution-1742">Diokno: Any motion to dismiss impeachment case violates Constitution</a></div><p>The Senate, under the leadership of Sen. Francis &quot;Chiz&quot; Escudero, in 2025 convened as an impeachment court some four months after Duterte&#x27;s impeachment that year, despite attempts by senators aligned with Duterte to stall the proceedings.</p><p>The Supreme Court later ruled that Duterte&#x27;s first impeachment violated a constitutional provision banning more than one impeachment proceeding against an official in a year.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NEW SENATE LEADERSHIP?</strong></div><p>A coup launched by Duterte-allied senators on May 11 saw Cayetano installed as Senate president and ousted Sen. Vicente Sotto III, just as the House of Representatives was voting on the complaints against the Vice President.</p><p>Cayetano&#x27;s ascent to the Senate presidency was made possible with the crucial vote of Sen. Ronald &quot;Bato&quot; dela Rosa, who reappeared following a months-long absence. He later &quot;escaped&quot; the chamber&#x27;s premises after the International Criminal Court unsealed a warrant for his arrest over his role in the drug war.</p><p>Following the terror on Wednesday, which has been accused of being &quot;staged&quot; to allow Dela Rosa to slip out of the Senate, Cayetano&#x27;s leadership has been under threat. </p><p>As he denied allegations that he orchestrated the mayhem and maintained that the Senate faced an &quot;attack,&quot; Cayetano <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/15/cayetano-says-cancelled-ledac-meeting-part-of-plot-to-unseat-him-2004">accused the minority bloc</a> of growing numbers to oust him, saying at one point that he might &quot;leave anytime.&quot;</p><p>Political analyst Ronald Llamas said Monday that there is a <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPGrPke089Y">&quot;big possibility&quot; of another leadership shakeup</a> in the Senate to save the chamber from a &quot;crisis&quot; that tainted the chamber&#x27;s image.</p><p>&quot;Hindi nakakagulat na magkakaroon ng pagbabago sa liderato today,&quot; he told DZMM.</p><p>If ousted Monday, Cayetano becomes the shortest-serving Senate president in Philippine history.</p><div><strong>— With reports from Katrina Domingo and RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><strong><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/_NBTP3Cs_tM?&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/Bun2F7eCrBI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Senate on Monday afternoon is set to convene as an impeachment court for the trial of impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, as talk of another leadership shakeup in the chamber swirls.</p>

The Senate on Monday afternoon is set to convene as an impeachment court for the trial of impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, as talk of another leadership shakeup in the chamber swirls.

Senate set to convene as impeachment court as Cayetano leadership under threat

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Senate set to convene as impeachment court as Cayetano leadership under threat

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 18, 2026 12:11 PM PHT

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Updated May 18, 2026 01:27 PM PHT

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Sara Duterte

Sara Duterte Impeachment

Senate

Impeachment Court

Alan Peter Cayetano

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