Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — A call to move the impeachment trial hearings of Vice President Sara Duterte to the afternoon is gaining traction among senator-judges.Sen. Panfilo Lacson said members of the Senate majority have been discussing the possibility of holding the Senate session in the morning and the impeachment trial from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Mondays-Wednesdays, to allow the proceedings to continue without the need for a lunch break.“Sa aming chat group na-discuss yan, majority sa amin, at least sa majority group, yung aming chat group majority lang, ‘yan ang nagdo-donominate na sentimyento na opinyon. Na gawin nating umaga ang session, nang sa ganon, ‘di nacu-cut short yung impeachment trial,” he said in a radio interview.He added that he does not expect the trial to finish by December, noting that the proceedings have only covered two impeachment articles so far.Paolo Emmanuel Tamase, associate dean and assistant professor of the University of the Philippines College of Law, said an afternoon trial would be better simply because the senators could spend more time on the proceedings.He added that the afternoon schedule is also better for viewership.“Mas primetime ‘yung usapin…Mahalaga ang involvement ng publiko. Maganda na napapanood nila,” he said, adding that this is better than relying on summaries on social media.Tamase said Duterte’s attendance will not necessarily speed up the trial but will help show that she can answer all the charges against her, adding that the VP does not need to stay for all of the hearings.“Kaya niyang sagutin mga paratang sa kanya…Desisyon ng team nila ‘yan. May risks po ang pagpapadala o pagpapa-attend ng isang akusdado.”Tamase said there are other ways to speed up the trial, noting that both the defense and prosecution agreed on stipulations on one of the witnesses last week upon the prompting of presiding officer Sen. Chiz Escudero.There is also a need, he said, to delve further into the testimony of special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, who admitted turning over confidential funds to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, former chief of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, upon the instructions of Duterte.Tamase said the burden of evidence now shifts to defense after the prosecution already showed the money went to Lachica. <div> </div><div>SUB JUDICE RULING</div><div> </div>Escudero is also set to make a ruling on enforcing the sub judice rule following heated exchanges between the defense and prosecution panels during the trial.Senate impeachment court spokesperson Reginald Tongol earlier said Escudero had already drafted his ruling but held off on announcing it last week after the trial adjourned one hour early due to inclement weather. Escudero’s ruling will cover not just the prosecution and defense but all parties covered by Rule 18 of the Senate Rules of Impeachment, which prohibits even the respondent Duterte and the senator-judges from making comments on the merits of the impeachment case.This, after the Vice President claimed that prosecutors were “bending the law” in the impeachment trial. House prosecutors earlier urged Escudero to enforce the rule barring parties and counsels from publicly discussing the merits of an ongoing case after senator-judge Pia Cayetano posted a spliced video of her exchange with House prosecutor Chel Diokno and after Duterte herself made a comment about the proceedings.The defense, meanwhile, has asked counsel for the prosecutors Lorna Kapunan to show respect to a fellow lawyer while also calling out a Facebook post of private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan about misleading questions.Tongol said the Senate clerk of court is expected to monitor social media posts of both the prosecution and defense from here on out.“Sila ang magpa-flag ng remarks ng bawat panig, ng bawat counsel outside of the court,” he said.

A call to move the impeachment trial hearings of Vice President Sara Duterte to the afternoon is gaining traction among senator-judges.

A call to move the impeachment trial hearings of Vice President Sara Duterte to the afternoon is gaining traction among senator-judges.

Impeach Trial Day 17: Call for afternoon impeach hearings gains traction—Lacson

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Impeach Trial Day 17: Call for afternoon impeach hearings gains traction—Lacson

David Dizon,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 24, 2026 08:47 AM PHT

Read More:

paolo tamase

impeachment

sara duterte

reginald tongol

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