Sara Duterte's impeachment trial set for July 6, 2026, despite tight schedule

The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte remains on track to begin by July 6 despite the marking of evidence taking some time in the pre-trial conference, Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. said Wednesday.

Bantug, who also serves as the clerk of the Senate impeachment court, admitted the July 6 schedule for the trial is “tight” but said it is “not yet an impossibility”.

“July 6 is still the date of the start of the trial proper of the impeachment case,” he told reporters.

“It may be difficult on the part of the court…but at this point, July 6 as the start of the trial proper is not yet an impossibility. Tight but not impossible,” he said.

The pre-trial brief resumed on Monday, June 22, after its opening session on June 18. Bantug previously said that marking the documentary evidence for Articles I and II is taking time, citing the voluminous documents related to the impeachment charges.

Bantug expressed hope that the proceedings could be completed by Thursday, June 25, to align with the impeachment calendar, which scheduled them from June 18 to June 25.

The calendar also set the issuance of the pre-trial order to Thursday, June 25.

“Obviously, we cannot issue a pre-trial order until all documents are marked, until the pre-trial is complete,” he added.

Mamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Representative Leila de Lima, one of the House prosecutors, said additional teams were deployed to expedite the marking of documentary evidence for the impeachment trial. Working hours were also extended from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, Bantug said he has yet to discuss with Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian the manifestation filed by the House prosecution panel requesting to open a sealed box from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), containing Duterte’s tax-related documents.

“There’s no set and definite rule for that, but it’s something I have to discuss with the Senate President, and I’m sure he would also consult the other members of the Senate on how to best address the issue on the box,” he added. –NB, GMA News