The Office of the Vice President (OVP) confirmed on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, that it received the writ of summons issued by the Senate impeachment court in connection with the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
The OVP acknowledged receipt of the summons at approximately 10:40 a.m. on the same day. According to the rules governing impeachment trials, the respondent—in this case, Duterte—has 10 calendar days from the date of receipt to file her pleadings. Following this period, the prosecution will be granted five calendar days to submit a response.
Duterte will be ordered to appear before the impeachment court upon receiving proper notice. The Senate formally convened as an impeachment court on May 18, 2026, five days after the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment from the House of Representatives.
On May 11, 2026, a total of 257 lawmakers voted in favor of adopting House Resolution 989, along with Committee Report 261, which contained the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President for the second time. The grounds for impeachment include irregularities in the use of public funds by the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte's tenure as DepEd secretary from 2022 to 2024; her alleged death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez; alleged bribery of DepEd officials; unexplained wealth and misdeclarations in her Statement of Accounts, Liabilities, and Net Worth; and her alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings.
In a press conference on Tuesday, May 19, the House prosecution team, led by Batangas Second District Representative Gerville Luistro, expressed confidence in having an airtight case against Duterte. While they thanked the Senate for promptly convening as an impeachment court in accordance with the 1987 Constitution, they reminded the court that the trial is mandated to proceed "forthwith."
