VP Duterte impeachment trial schedule to be adjusted for budget deliberations

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate impeachment court is eyeing adjustments to the calendar of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to give the upper chamber time to focus on deliberations on the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027. Presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero announced on Wednesday, September 2, that the court is looking into holding “whole day” trials from October 1 to 2, 5 to 9, and 12 to 15, beginning at 10 am until early evening, to expedite the proceedings. There will be no plenary sessions on these dates. The trial will then be suspended from October 16 to November 8 to give way to the Senate finance committee’s hearings on the proposed budgets of government agencies. The impeachment trial will resume on November 9, then on November 16 — both Mondays — when the Senate is expected to endorse and tackle the proposed national budget at the plenary. The regular trial schedule will resume on November 23 until the case is finished, under the eyed schedule. Escudero said the proposed schedule will still be finetuned and finalized by next week. Scheduling realities “Sana maunawaan ninyo na kinakailangan namin bigyan ng panahon ang pinakaimportanteng panukalang batas na data naming aprubahan kada taon. Pero tinitiyak ko sa inyo na uukulan namin nang sapat at karampatang panahon ang impeachment para sa gayon ay matapos natin nang di kailangan patagalin nang mas matagal pa nang mas kinakailangan,” Escudero said, adding the proposed schedule remains subject to discussion and is expected to be finalized next week. (We’re hoping the public will understand that we need time to finish the most important legislation we need to approve every year. But let me assure you that we will also give enough time for the trial so that we can finish it without letting it drag on longer than necessary.) Escudero also said that compared to the Senate which has only 24 members, the House of Representatives has over 300 members who can focus on the budget deliberations and legislation while the House prosecution team is at the impeachment trial. Senator-judge JV Ejercito, chair of the Senate committee on finance, underscored the importance of expediting the trial while alllotting time for budget deliberations. Its “either we finish the impeachment or have a reenacted budget,” he said. Senator-judge Migz Zubiri noted that budget deliberations are whole-day affairs over a three-week period. He added that on top of the impeachment trial and the budget deliberations, the senators have to attend to priority legislation as well. Fajarda subpoena During the Wednesday trial, the impeachment court issued a new subpoena to former Department of Education special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda, who was previously excused from testifying to allow him to complete his two-week medical leave after suffering a stroke. The prosecution expressed concern about Fajarda’s medical condition and raised the possibility of entering into a stipulation and excusing him from testifying as a witness. Defense lead counsel Sheila Sison asked the prosecutors to file the request in writing. Escudero, for his part, said Fajarda may again be excused on Monday, September 7, if he would still be unfit to testify. – Rappler.com