Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

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/1784620232787viber_image_2026-07-21_09-57-04-670 (8).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, tackles Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte on day two of the trial, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. <em>Joseph B. Vidal, Senate Social Media Unit</em> <br id="isPasted"/></span></span></span>MANILA — Impeachment trial presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero reminded senator-judges Tuesday not to interject before the prosecution and defense conclude their examination of the witness. </div><p>National Bureau of Investigation Director <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/21/impeach-trial-day-8-nbi-chief-could-face-intense-grilling-before-cayetanos-1005">Melvin Matibag</a> stood as a witness in the Tuesday trial. </p><p>Escudero urged senator-judges to raise their interjections after the prosecution and defense have conducted the direct, cross, redirect and re-cross examinations, unless the matter is an urgent administrative or procedural concern. </p><p>“This is more of a trial really than merely seeking clarificatory questions, when the counsels can elicit that from the witness anyway,” Escudero said. </p><p>Several senator-judges have raised concerns over the slow pace of the trial, which is already predicted to last for at least 92 trial days or eight months. </p><p>On Monday, Sen. Erwin Tulfo stressed that senator-judges should not use the impeachment court to explain or defend themselves from allegations unrelated to the proceedings.</p><p>Senator-Judge Robin Padilla, at the beginning of the Monday trial, made a manifestation denying the Office of the Ombudsman’s allegation that he ignored an order to submit his counter-affidavit in response to an obstruction of justice complaint related to Sen. Ronald &quot;Bato&quot; dela Rosa’s escape from the Senate compound on May 14. </p><p>Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano, defending his colleague in the minority bloc, said “the integrity of the court and the justices or judges is always relevant,” and that there are senator-judges “being threatened.”</p><p>Cayetano, who headed the organizing committee of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, is also under scrutiny over <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/7/14/nbi-launches-probe-into-alleged-irregularities-in-2019-sea-games-infrastructure-projects-2232">alleged anomalies </a>involving infrastructure projects undertaken for the event.</p><p>Cayetano previously <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/-binabawasan-talaga-kami-iniisa-isa-cayetano-says-2019-sea-games-probe-aims-to-intimidate-him-1433">said </a>he had “nothing to do with the infrastructure.” </p><p>Escudero stressed that the Senate session resumes “in one week’s time” and urged the senator-judges to “ventilate, discuss, look into, and if necessary, investigate the allegations and accusations against senator-judges” during session.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WATCH</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UQL_9hIrrBQ?si=Kko_Qu_hGSZXoSlh" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Senator-Judge Francis “Chiz” Escudero, the presiding officer in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, reminded senator-judges not to interject before the prosecution and defense conclude their examination of the witness.</p>

Senator-Judge Francis “Chiz” Escudero, the presiding officer in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, reminded senator-judges not to interject before the prosecution and defense conclude their examination of the witness.

Escudero reminds senator-judges not to interject before counsels' witness examination

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Escudero reminds senator-judges not to interject before counsels' witness examination

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 21, 2026 03:54 PM PHT

Read More:

Sara Duterte

impeachment trial

Francis Escudero

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