SEN. Erwin Tulfo said the Senate is looking at July 6 as the start of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, following an all-members caucus on Tuesday.
In an interview on Thursday, Tulfo outlined the tentative timeline and proposed schedule for the trial, saying the proceedings could extend late into the evening.
He said the Senate president will first grant Duterte 10 days to respond to the articles of impeachment, after which the prosecution will be given five calendar days to file its reply.
The pretrial phase will follow, which will involve the marking of evidence, submission of statements and other procedural matters.
“It seems like the trial will actually start on July 6 after our break,” he said.
Tulfo said senators are considering a schedule that would allow the chamber to continue its legislative work while conducting the impeachment proceedings. Under the proposed arrangement, Senate sessions would be held in the morning, followed by impeachment hearings in the afternoon and evening.
“The plan, if I remember correctly, is that every Monday morning, we will have a session so that we don’t run out of time,” Tulfo said. “We have a session from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., then after a one-hour break, we go straight to the trial from 2 p.m. until the end — maybe until 11 p.m. or 12 midnight.”
The trial is also expected to continue on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while Thursdays may be allotted for regular committee hearings and legislative matters.
Tulfo said the Senate leadership is considering making the proceedings more accessible to the public through live broadcasts and online coverage.
“We suggested it yesterday to the Senate President so that the public can see it, so that the trial can be seen on social media and through coverage,” he said. “The Senate President and the majority agreed that we would publish it very soon.” Although Congress is officially on a break until after the president’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), Tulfo noted that senators may reconvene earlier than scheduled for the trial.
“We need to start on July 6,” he said. “Post-SONA, we will really have to dedicate time to the trial.” Under the tentative work setup, senators may devote three days each week to the trial and another day to regular hearings and committee work. Fridays could also be used for committee hearings if necessary.
On Thursday, the House’s impeachment spokesman Zia Alonto Adiong said the 11-member prosecution panel was ready to proceed on any schedule the Senate will come up with.
Adiong said the House has not been officially notified by the Senate about the trial schedule.
