Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial Vote Possible by December, Says Gatchalian

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian on Wednesday said the Senate impeachment court could finish Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial and hold the vote by December, under a revised schedule that could speed up proceedings after prosecutors took 15 witnesses off their list. “Hopefully, we can finish before December,” Gatchalian told reporters. “With verdict, with verdict….that’s our target with the new timetable. We’re hoping to finish [the trial] by December.” The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, adopted a new schedule on Tuesday to better manage the chamber’s time while it also holds regular sessions and deliberates on the draft 2027 national budget. “As you can see, the timetable changes, depending on the prosecution and the defense, depending on who they present,” he said. READ: Highlights: Day 23 of Sara Duterte impeachment trial | Sept. 8, 2026 It was a “big deal,” he said, that the prosecution decided to drop its remaining 15 witnesses for Article 1, which accuses Duterte of misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd). The prosecution initially listed 27 witnesses for the charge and had so far presented 12. Under the revised schedule, the impeachment court will hold whole-day trials for at least 10 days in October, with hearings starting at 10 a.m. “so [the proceedings] will be a lot faster.” READ: Impeachment trial: Palace leaves Sara Duterte subpoena call to Senate Aside from finishing Article 1, the prosecution has completed its presentation for Article 4, which accuses Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust over alleged threats against President Marcos, first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez. The prosecution is expected to move to Article 2, concerning alleged unexplained wealth, on Sept. 14. The last will be Article 3, which accuses the Vice President of bribery. With its decision to drop the 15 remaining Article 1 witnesses, the prosecution also served notice that it would soon ask that Duterte herself be compelled to take the stand. At Tuesday’s hearing, prosecution counsel Lorna Kapunan told the impeachment court that the panel would no longer present the remaining Article 1 witnesses but reserved the right to summon Duterte at the end of its presentation of all the articles. Some senator-judges shared the view that Duterte should eventually face the court and personally answer the allegations. Sen. Erwin Tulfo said the court was the proper venue for Duterte to present her defense, but “if she doesn’t want to, there’s nothing we can do. We cannot subpoena her.” Erwin’s brother, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, also said that “Ideally, I would want her to attend. It’s better to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.” He said Duterte could answer questions that her OVP and DepEd subordinates might not be able to address directly. The court is also taking up the decisive issue over the number of votes needed to convict. It is set to revisit impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero’s July 6 ruling that 16 votes, or two-thirds of all 24 senators, are required for conviction. The dispute centers on whether “all members”—as stated in the Constitution—means all 24 incumbent senators regardless of their ability to participate, or only those legally able to take part in the proceedings and final vote. Sen. Raffy Tulfo, however, said he preferred that the question be raised at the Supreme Court and let the high tribunal decide “rather than us.” Sen. JV Ejercito also favored the same route, but said the impeachment court might have to make the ultimate decision if needed. The court is expected to hear on Sept. 16 the position of several legal experts on the matter, followed by the prosecution and defense arguments on Sept. 23. Gatchalian said elevating the issue to the Supreme Court might still “depend on what the experts or amici curiae will explain.” Meanwhile, the OVP on Wednesday announced the appointment of lawyer Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. as Duterte’s new spokesperson. Panelo was also Duterte’s legal counsel in connection with the multiple perjury complaints she filed against Ramil Madriaga, who earlier claimed to have served as her “bag man” or courier in delivering cash allegedly drawn from her confidential funds. Panelo’s father, Salvador, served as chief legal counsel and spokesperson of then President Rodrigo Duterte, the Vice President’s father. —With a report from Isabelle Pechay