MANILA, Philippines — The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is heading for a major scheduling change as the Senate moves to free up more time for the proceedings, with Duterte’s defense team saying it is ready to comply with whatever timetable the impeachment court ultimately adopts.
Atty. Michael Poa, lead spokesperson and defense counsel for Duterte, said Saturday that the defense would follow the Senate impeachment court’s directives.
“The Defense will comply with whatever schedule the Impeachment Court may decide upon,” Poa told GMA News Online.
“We are prepared to proceed in accordance with the Court’s directives,” he added.
The statement comes as the Senate seeks to accelerate a trial that has already been affected by schedule disruptions, including cancellations caused by severe weather and flooding.
Senate prepares to move trial to afternoons
Under the current arrangement, the impeachment proceedings have generally been held from around 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. or 2:30 p.m., allowing the Senate to shift to its regular legislative session at 3 p.m.
But Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said senator-judges have reached a consensus to reverse that arrangement.
The proposed setup would allow the Senate to conduct its regular legislative business in the morning and devote the afternoon to the impeachment trial, potentially giving both sides substantially more time to present witnesses, documents and arguments.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri had proposed holding the regular Senate session at 10 a.m., followed by the impeachment proceedings at around 3 p.m.
The objective is straightforward: finish the impeachment trial sooner rather than allow it to stretch deep into next year.
Gatchalian acknowledged that impeachment proceedings can require six to seven hours on a typical trial day, making the existing morning schedule a significant limitation.
He also warned that senators and their staff could face considerable physical and mental strain if marathon hearings become the norm, especially with the Senate simultaneously preparing to tackle the proposed 2027 national budget.
Prosecution wants longer hearings—even Fridays
The House prosecution team has welcomed the proposed change.
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, a member of the prosecution panel, said the prosecutors have no objection to moving the proceedings later in the day.
Their priority, he said, is to accelerate the trial and finish it at the earliest possible time.
The prosecution has also floated the possibility of holding hearings on Fridays to further increase the number of available trial days.
That proposal could significantly change the rhythm of the trial, particularly because the Senate’s pre-trial order originally envisioned a lengthy proceeding.
Why the schedule matters
The Senate’s pre-trial order originally allotted 92 trial days: 62 days for the prosecution and 30 days for Duterte’s defense.
However, the proceedings have not moved according to the original timetable.
Several scheduled trial dates were canceled because of inclement weather, flooding and the effects of tropical cyclones and the southwest monsoon.
As a result, the Senate is now looking for ways to recover lost time.
The Philippine Star likewise reported that the Senate had agreed to flip its schedule, moving regular legislative sessions to the morning and making the afternoon available for longer impeachment hearings.
The report said Gatchalian warned that maintaining the current pace could push the proceedings into next year—something the Senate wants to avoid.
Defense says it won’t fight the new timetable
Despite the potential for longer and more frequent hearings, Duterte’s lawyers are not objecting to the Senate’s proposed changes.
Instead, the defense has made clear that it will follow the impeachment court’s official directives.
That distinction is important: the Senate has reached a consensus on changing the schedule, but the court still has to formally implement the new arrangement.
If there are no further disruptions, the next scheduled hearing will be the 17th day of the impeachment trial on Monday.
The bigger question: When will the trial end?
The schedule change is more than a simple adjustment to the Senate calendar.
At stake is the timeline of one of the country’s most consequential political proceedings.
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on May 11 over allegations including culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery and other high crimes. She has denied wrongdoing, while her defense has asked the Senate impeachment court to dismiss the case.
The Senate formally opened the impeachment trial on July 6, with Duterte’s legal team appearing before the impeachment court on her behalf.
Now, with the Senate trying to move the proceedings into longer afternoon sessions—and with prosecutors pushing for additional hearing days—the central question is becoming harder to ignore:
Will the new schedule finally put the Duterte impeachment trial on a faster track, or will the growing workload of the Senate create another obstacle before a verdict is reached?
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