Drilon warns of impeachment fatigue, urges Senate to streamline trial

MANILA, Philippines – Former Senate president Franklin Drilon urged the Senate impeachment court to take a firmer hand in managing the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the proceedings have become too drawn out and risk losing public interest. Speaking during a town hall with Rappler+ members on Friday, July 17, Drilon said there is already “impeachment fatigue” just two weeks into the trial. “I call on the leadership of the Senate to exercise more authority, and control the way the proceedings go,” said Drilon. He said lawyers have treated the impeachment trial like an ordinary court case, resulting in lengthy presentations of evidence that could have been shortened. “The tendency of the lawyers is to treat the entire proceeding as a judicial process, and therefore go to length,” he said. As an example, Drilon cited the two days spent authenticating the video of Duterte’s remarks, threatening President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House speaker Martin Romualdez. “Millions of Filipinos have seen that, and I do not know who would say that that is not authentic,” Drilon said. He said the parties could have just stipulated to the video’s authenticity, or the impeachment court could have taken judicial notice of it, to save time. Drilon also said Senate President Win Gatchalian and impeachment court presiding officer Chiz Escudero should exercise greater authority over the proceedings to make the trial more efficient. “We must remember that the trial is not only for the senator-judges, but as important, if not more important, is for the public to be informed as to what has happened,” he said. He added that the Senate leadership has a duty to ensure the proceedings remain understandable and engaging for the public, saying he expects reforms after the court assesses the first two weeks of the trial. The impeachment trial started on July 6. It is held from Monday to Wednesday, from 2 pm onwards. As of this posting, the trial has been running for at least 26.98 hours. The impeachment trial was somehow expedited after the House prosecution decided not to present at least six witnesses. In the past two weeks, only two witnesses have testified so far. The trial is expected to run for 92 days, potentially extending into early 2027. Senator Erwin Tulfo said in an interview with DZBB on Sunday, July 19, that most senator-judges are amenable to starting the trial at 10 am and hearing the case until 2 pm, with proceedings extended to 3 pm if needed. The Senate can then convene its regular session at 4 pm. Based on the pre-trial brief, however, trial sessions beginning July 28 are scheduled to start at 3 pm and will be held from Wednesday to Thursday. – Rappler.com