Senate Eyes PICC Rentals for 2027 Budget Hearings Amid Impeachment Trial

MANILA, Philippines — With the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte still ongoing, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said on Thursday that the chamber might rent conference rooms at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) to hold the upcoming hearings on the 2027 budget. According to Gatchalian, several rooms have been occupied to accommodate participants in the impeachment trial, leaving only three available for legislative hearings. “Because the budget is coming in, because we have a lot of committee hearings to do, I can see that we will need to rent space at the PICC. Obviously, our… committee offices were used for the impeachment,” he said in Filipino. Starting July 27, the impeachment trial won’t be the only proceedings the senators will spend their time on, as the second regular session of Congress will also commence. READ: DBM opens budget preparation hearings to civil society groups Typically, committee hearings are held on weekday mornings, while plenary sessions are held in the afternoon starting at 3 p.m. Committee and budget hearings will likely be held only on Thursdays and Fridays starting July 29, as the new schedule for the impeachment trial will be conducted every Monday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with plenary sessions starting at 4 p.m., Gatchalian said. Gatchalian admitted the difficulty that comes with a packed schedule. “It’s going to be a challenge, honestly. Now there have been two hearings — on average, each hearing is four to five hours. The budget hearing sometimes takes longer, so it’s really gonna be a challenge,” he added. While there is no schedule yet for when the budget hearings will begin, Gatchalian vowed that, under his leadership, the hearings will start “ASAP” (as soon as possible). /mcm