The Senate impeachment court has formally directed Vice President Sara Duterte to appear at the opening of her trial, scheduled for Monday, July 6, 2026. The order was conveyed in a letter signed by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, who serves as the court's presiding officer, dated June 2, 2026.
Notice of Appearance and Trial Details
According to the notice, Duterte is required to appear in person or through counsel at the Senate Session Hall in Pasay City at 2 p.m. on July 6. The directive cites Rule VII of the Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials and the Writ of Summons issued on May 19, 2026, which commands her to obey all orders and judgments of the Senate as per the Constitution and laws of the Philippines.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on May 11, 2026, on grounds of betrayal of public trust, culpable violations of the Constitution, and misuse of public funds. These charges stem from alleged irregularities involving confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education during her tenure as secretary. The article of impeachment also references threats Duterte allegedly made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Trial Proceedings and Security Preparations
At the trial's opening, defense and prosecution teams will formally enter their appearances and deliver opening statements. Senate Secretary and Impeachment Clerk of Court Renato "Rey" Bantug Jr. stated in a radio interview that the selection of the presiding officer remains undecided. Unless the majority of senator-judges elect a different presiding officer, Senate President Gatchalian will retain the role. Speculation has pointed to Senators Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan or Francis "Chiz" Escudero, given their legal backgrounds.
Senators held a caucus on Friday morning, July 3, to discuss the upcoming proceedings. Attendees included Gatchalian, Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, and Senators Panfilo Lacson, Risa Hontiveros, JV Ejercito, Erwin Tulfo, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Escudero, Loren Legarda, and Robin Padilla. Only Legarda and Padilla belong to the minority bloc. Senator Tulfo noted, "We only discussed the impeachment. We were given documents to follow the sequencing. That's it."
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is finalizing security measures for the trial. PNP public information chief Colonel Allen Rae Co announced that approximately 6,000 police personnel will be deployed to maintain peace and order at the Senate during the trial's opening. "Our comprehensive security plan is already in place, intelligence monitoring is ongoing to monitor any threat that there might be and mismong hapon na ito the PNP will be conducting a final coordinating conference among all units for the final preparation sa ating security plan," Co said.
