Philippine Senate Adjusts Schedule for Impeachment Trial, Budget Hearings

MANILA, Philippines – Senators have agreed on schedule adjustments to simultaneously deliberate on the proposed 2027 national budget and conclude the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte within the year. Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri announced on Thursday that the decision was finalized during a caucus on Wednesday. The agreement will allow the Senate to suspend its rules and permit the finance committee to hold budget hearings concurrently with plenary sessions. A trial run for these concurrent hearings is scheduled for next week. The final calendar for the impeachment trial, as per their consensus, is as follows: September 7 to 9: Impeachment trial from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by plenary sessions, budget hearings, and committee hearings for the legislative agenda. September 10 to 11: Budget hearings. September 14. September 17 to 29 (except weekends). September 30: Suspension of sessions. October 1 to 15 (except weekends): Sessions starting from 10 a.m. October 19 to 23. Zubiri's earlier remark about senators being "very tired" from 12-hour workdays since the trial began had sparked online discussions. He clarified that he was merely being candid about his condition and the difficulty of juggling three significant Senate activities: the impeachment trial, budget hearings, and legislative agenda. The Senate is currently managing three major tasks: deliberations on the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027, the ongoing impeachment trial of Duterte, and the passage of its legislative agenda. – Rappler.com