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Senators formally convene as an impeachment court to try the complaints filed against Vice President Duterte at the Senate in Pasay City on May 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Senators formally convene as an impeachment court to try the complaints filed against Vice President Duterte at the Senate in Pasay City on May 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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VP SARA IMPEACHMENT

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/178175216759320260518-senate-impeachment-court-MT16.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senators formally convene as an impeachment court to try the complaints filed against Vice President Duterte at the Senate in Pasay City on May 18, 2026. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span>MANILA — The Senate has yet to discuss who will preside over the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian clarified Thursday.</div><p>At a news conference a day after being installed as the new leader of the chamber, Gatchalian told reporters that the Senate would still have a discussion on the appointment of a presiding officer of the trial, which is slated for next month.</p><p>&quot;Right now, as it stands, I will preside [over the tria],&quot; he said.</p><p>Gatchalian&#x27;s remark came after Sen. Panfilo Lacson said that the majority bloc would <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/17/lacson-says-escudero-to-preside-over-sara-duterte-impeachment-trial-1602">choose Sen. Francis Escudero as presiding officer </a>of the impeachment trial.</p><p>&quot;As per our consensus as of this morning, we will elect Senator Chiz Escudero, if we convene again as the impeachment court, to be the presiding officer,&quot; Lacson said Wednesday.</p><p>The majority led by Gatchalian amended on June 3 the Senate impeachment rules to empower the body to pick a different presiding officer in non-presidential trials.</p><p>The constitution mandates that the Supreme Court Chief Justice preside over presidential trials as in the case of former President Joseph Estrada, while then Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile presided over in the case of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.</p><p>Gatchalian meanwhile maintained that <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/10/gatchalian-16-votes-needed-for-conviction-at-impeachment-trial-1554">16 votes are needed to convict Duterte</a>. He said he does not want to preempt the moves of the prosecution team regarding the matter.</p><p>On Thursday, the legal team of Vice President Sara Duterte and the House prosecution panel met for a <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/18/sara-duterte-impeachment-pre-trial-conference-starts-0946">pre-impeachment trial conference</a>, which serves as the initial gathering of both panels before the senator-judges formally begin the proceedings.</p><div><strong>— With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><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/zRRuEfqENgM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Senate has yet to discuss who will preside over the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian clarified Thursday.</p>

The Senate has yet to discuss who will preside over the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian clarified Thursday.

Gatchalian clarifies Senate to discuss presiding officer for Sara Duterte impeachment trial

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Gatchalian clarifies Senate to discuss presiding officer for Sara Duterte impeachment trial

ABS-CBN News

Published June 18, 2026 11:13 AM PHT

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Sherwin Gatchalian

Senate

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