MANILA, Philippines — The Senate impeachment court suspended the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 27 and July 28 to give way to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address (SONA) and the Senate minority's contra-SONA, Presiding Officer Francis Escudero announced Tuesday.
"During caucus, the senator-judges agreed for next week there will be no trial on Monday, given that that is the State of the Nation of the President," Escudero said.
"There will be no trial on Tuesday to afford the Minority the opportunity to prepare and deliver their contra-SONA which is a tradition in relation to the State of the Nation Address by the President," he added.
Escudero said trial will resume on Wednesday, July 29, with a new schedule from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., while the session of the Senate will be at 4:00 p.m.
"Henceforth, after that week, in August we will be conducting the trial from Monday to Wednesday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm," he said.
Meanwhile, Escudero said Matibag is expected to return to the Senate on Wednesday to continuewith his testimony via the cross-examination, redirect or re-cross for the counsel for the parties and questions from the senator-judges.
