Sara Duterte Ordered to Appear at Senate Impeachment Trial on July 6

The Senate, acting as an impeachment court, has formally ordered Vice President Sara Duterte to appear at the commencement of her trial on Monday, July 6. The directive was contained in a notice dated July 2 and addressed to Duterte herself. It was signed by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, who serves as the court’s presiding officer. "Pursuant to Rule VII of the Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials and in accordance with the Writ of Summons issued on 19 May 2026, directing you to 'appear before the Senate of the Philippines upon notice, and to abide by, obey and perform such orders, directions, and judgments as the Senate of the Philippines shall make in the premises according to the Constitution and laws of the Philippines', you are hereby notified that trial will commence on the 6th day of July at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and are further directed to appear on said date, in person or through counsel, before the Impeachment Court at the Session Hall of the Senate of the Philippines, Pasay City,” the notice read. The prosecution team was furnished a copy of the notice. Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on May 11 over alleged misuse of public funds, amassing of unexplained wealth, bribery involving Department of Education (DepEd) officials, and kill threats against several individuals, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and wife Liza. Senate Secretary and Impeachment Clerk of Court Renato Bantug reiterated that Duterte could attend the July 6 trial in person or through her lawyers. "We are now ready for Monday as we begin the impeachment trial proceedings," Bantug said in Filipino. At the start of the trial, members of the defense and the prosecution teams will formally enter their appearances first before delivering their opening statements, Bantug said, citing the 2012 impeachment trial of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona. Gatchalian is expected to preside over the trial unless the Senate, by a majority vote of the members present, elects another senator to preside the proceedings. However, the chamber has yet to make a decision on this. "I have not yet received any final instructions regarding what the decision will be. I also do not have any information on what the Impeachment Court’s decision will be concerning the Presiding Officer," Bantug said. "If anything is to be decided, we will all have to wait until Monday."