Veteran Senator-Judges Return to Impeachment Court for Duterte Trial
The Philippine Senate is set to convene Monday afternoon as an impeachment court to try Vice President Sara Duterte, in a politically charged proceeding that will test institutions and heighten scrutiny on the country’s second-highest elected official. Duterte, the first vice president in Philippine history to face an impeachment trial, confronts four complaints, with a conviction on any single article sufficient to remove her from office. Hearings will initially run from Monday to Wednesday at 2 p.m., according to Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, who said the opening day will be devoted to preliminaries and the presentation of opening statements by the prosecution and defense.
The case centers on accusations including culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes. Under the Constitution, removing an elected official via impeachment requires a two-thirds vote of the senator-judges, a threshold Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV underscored as deliberately high to reflect the gravity of overturning the popular mandate. “Removing elected officials is no simple matter, because impeachment alters the will of the majority of voters,” Aquino said, stressing that the process is designed to be rigorous and fact-driven.
Aquino, who will sit as one of the senator-judges, said he plans to file a motion in the first week of the trial to make all evidence presented before the Senate impeachment court publicly accessible. In a video statement released Sunday, he argued that transparency is crucial as the country follows the case, urging Filipinos to closely monitor the proceedings, form their own views based on the record, and remain alert to misinformation. He pledged to stay impartial, vowing to examine the evidence carefully, ensure a fair hearing, and cast his vote solely on the facts presented. Aquino added that his office will use social media channels to gather questions and topics of concern from the public.
The Senate has been moving in tandem on security and procedural preparations ahead of the high-profile trial. On Friday, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and retired Police Major General Alfred Sotto Corpuz led an inspection of the Senate complex with officials from the Philippine National Police’s Police Security and Protection Group. Authorities said additional police personnel will be deployed around the compound to strengthen security and maintain order while the impeachment court is in session. Senators from both the majority and minority blocs also held an all-member caucus, led by Gatchalian, to finalize internal arrangements ahead of the formal opening of the trial. The sessions are scheduled to shift to a Tuesday-to-Thursday schedule at 2 p.m. after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address on July 27.
The Senate impeachment court has summoned Duterte to appear at the formal opening of the trial, which will be closely watched both for its legal arguments and its broader political implications. Nine senators bring prior experience as impeachment judges, having participated in earlier trials of a sitting president and a chief justice, and their handling of the case is expected to shape public confidence in the process. With allegations spanning constitutional questions and corruption claims, and with calls mounting for comprehensive public access to evidence, the proceedings are set to become a central test of transparency, accountability and due process in the country’s political system.
