Day 1 of VP Sara impeachment trial eyed on Aug. 4 —Villanueva

The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte may begin on August 4, 2025, or a week after the 20th Congress opens, according to Senator Joel Villanueva. 

“If SONA (State of the Nation Address) is (July) 28, so you're looking at the week after, August 4. We're looking at August 4 to convene,” Villanueva said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday. 

Villanueva was referring to the fourth SONA of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., which will happen after the House and the Senate open their first regular session at 10 am on July 28.

"It looks like we are going to wait for one week to organize ourselves... at ang House ganun din po, and then a week after we can convene the impeachment court and have the defense and the prosecution present their cases," added Villanueva. 

Villanueva also defended the Senate's move to return to the House of Representatives the articles of impeachment against Duterte without dismissing or terminating them last month.

“If you look at the history of impeachment proceedings, the first few days, 10 to 12 days, lagi po yan about jurisdiction. Laging yan ang debate. With this, we'll be able to shorten the time na tanungin ng prosecution," explained Villanueva.

Villanueva said he is also hoping that the Supreme Court could resolve pending petitions questioning the legality of the impeachment complaint against Duterte before the trial begins.

“I am also hoping that the Supreme Court will also come up with their decision as soon as possible so we can see if we are on the right track,” Villanueva said.

Earlier, the Senate said it has already filed a Manifestation Ad Cautelam to the Supreme Court after it required Congress to comment and submit information regarding the impeachment.

In the manifestation, the Senate "respectfully informed the Court that it currently lacks sufficient knowledge or access to the specific information requested."

The SC requirement comes after the SC En Banc consolidated the petition filed by Duterte against the validity and constitutionality of the fourth impeachment complaint against her and the petition filed by lawyer Israelito Torreon and others seeking to declare the articles of impeachment null and void.

Office of the Vice President spokesperson Ruth Castelo, meanwhile, said that the government will be able to save millions worth of public funds should the SC decide in favor of the petitions seeking to dismiss the impeachment case against Duterte. 

Castelo, however, also said that Duterte is "ready" if the impeachment will proceed. 

“The Vice President is ready, she's been saying that. And she's eager to be able to present her case or her evidence in the impeachment court so that once and for all, all doubts cast on her will go away. And that's what she wants,” Castelo said.

The impeachment case put forward by the House accuses Duterte of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes mainly due to alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds and for threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., his wife Liza, and his cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte, among others. —VAL, GMA Integrated News