Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

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

Victoria Tulad

Vivienne Gulla

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/178280180867120260630070640_1d0a2f7a896bd7f71cc91911de83c47419035c4da13f0845ef2a9b6506896901.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. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA – The Senate is &quot;very prepared&quot; for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte set to begin on July 6, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Tuesday after inspecting the session hall and committee rooms.</p><p>Gatchalian said preparations remained on schedule, with the session hall already configured for the trial.</p><p>The seats for the senator-judges, prosecution panel, and defense team have been arranged, while the witness stand has also been installed.</p><p>“On track naman kami, on track. At kahit na maliit ‘yung space, at least naayos na natin,” Gatchalian said.</p><p>“We&#x27;re very prepared. Handa na tayo,” he added.</p><p>Gatchalian said representatives from both the prosecution and defense were expected to inspect their assigned rooms within the week.</p><p>He acknowledged that space inside the Senate remained limited, making it difficult to accommodate all requests for work areas.</p><p>“Ang problema natin ‘yung space, maliit ‘yung space. So may mga request, mga civil society organizations saka mga prosecution and defense, but maliit din kasi ‘yung space so we&#x27;re allocating ‘yung mga space sa kanila,” he said.</p><p>The Senate remains under heightened security, although restrictions have been eased to allow visitors inside the premises.</p><p>Up to 150 members of the public will be allowed to observe the proceedings from the session hall on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested visitors must register through the Senate&#x27;s Visitor Management System.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/29/explainer-what-happens-during-an-impeachment-trial-1404">EXPLAINER: What happens during an impeachment trial</a><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/28/senate-to-open-impeachment-trial-to-public-1500"></a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/28/senate-to-open-impeachment-trial-to-public-1500">Senate to open impeachment trial to public</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>BIR RECORDS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Asked about the sealed Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) box containing the tax records of Duterte and her husband, Gatchalian said there would be no separate pre-trial conference on the matter.</p><p>“Wala na. ‘Yung BIR box will be left to the impeachment court to decide,” he said.</p><p>“When the time comes, I&#x27;m sure yung prosecution, &#x27;pag ire-raise, then we will decide on that matter,” he added.</p><p>Gatchalian clarified that the BIR records were not necessarily the first matter that the impeachment court would tackle when trial proceedings open on July 6.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/29/defense-prosecution-share-17-witnesses-in-sara-duterte-impeachment-trial-2207">Defense, prosecution share 17 witnesses in Sara Duterte impeachment trial</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>PROSECUTION ‘READY’</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Senate impeachment court on Monday issued the pre-trial order reflecting the trial schedule. </p><p>It said that trial proper shall be held at 2:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from July 6 to July 27. Thereafter, trial shall be held at 3:00PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays until its termination.</p><p>“Handa-handa na po ‘yung prosecution magsimula po sa paglilitis. So ito pong susunod pong mga araw, ito po ay paghanda doon sa unang araw at paghanda po doon sa presentation po ng mga witnesses sa susunod pong linggo. So ‘yan po yung mga pinipinal na po ng prosecution panel sa linggo pong ito,” House impeachment prosecutor Rep. Terry Ridon said. </p><p>Ridon believes the periods reflected in the pre-trial order for the presentation of evidence are fair. The order recognized the prosecution’s proposed 62 trial dates, and the defense’s proposed 30 trial dates.</p><p>“I think that is something that is fair to all the parties kasi ‘yan naman po yung mga ipinasa po namin. Kung ‘yan po ‘yung pasya ng Senate Impeachment Court, we will comply with the length of time that are given to us. Pero siyempre, ultimately, we will still wait for the submission of the final comment of the prosecution panel on these particular matters,” he said.</p><p>“Very procedural lang po ‘yung pre-trial order. Nakabatay din naman po ito essentially doon sa lahat po ng submissions na ginawa po ng prosecution at ng defense,”  Ridon added.</p><p>The lists of witnesses for both camps were also reflected in full in the pre-trial order, according to Ridon.</p><p>The order listed at least 17 common witnesses.</p><p>“I wouldn&#x27;t say that they would have an intent to delay. But of course, that is something that maybe the Senate Impeachment Court might ask also in the interest of expediting the proceedings. Lalo’t higit, common witnesses po ito, who will probably speak about exactly the same facts or exactly the same observations,” Ridon said.</p><p>House prosecutor Rep. Lorenz Defensor welcomed the agreement among parties to use Filipino and English in the trial.</p><p>“Dapat maintindihan ng bawat Pilipino ang nangyayari sa impeachment trial. Dapat maintindihan nila ang mga ebidensya, diskusyon at debate… Impeachment is one of the highest forms of inquests, at dapat maintindihan ng mga Pilipino, kasi kasama sila sa paghusga nito,” he said.</p><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/3W_uKi1TeSk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Senate is "very prepared" for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte set to begin on July 6, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Tuesday after inspecting the session hall and committee rooms.</p>

The Senate is "very prepared" for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte set to begin on July 6, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Tuesday after inspecting the session hall and committee rooms.

Senate 'very prepared' for Sara Duterte impeachment trial on July 6 – Gatchalian

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Senate 'very prepared' for Sara Duterte impeachment trial on July 6 – Gatchalian

Victoria Tulad,

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 30, 2026 02:45 PM PHT

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Updated June 30, 2026 04:11 PM PHT

Read More:

win gatchalian

impeachment

sara duterte

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