Chiz Escudero eyes Sara Duterte impeachment trial to end by December 2026

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero expressed optimism Tuesday that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will wrap up by the end of the year.

Escudero said this on the 18th day of the impeachment trial when Senator-Judge Juan Miguel Zubiri asked for an updated timeline of the proceedings, considering that the Senate will already begin deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget.

“We just like to be guided accordingly. Once the budget starts being discussed, all departments will be coming here Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Siguro aabot tayo ng Saturday (maybe we will extend up to Saturday). So wala nang pahinga na ‘yung mga staff natin,” he said.

Zubiri, who serves as the Senate Majority Leader, further asked the impeachment court if the trial will already be finished before the Upper Chamber goes on legislative break in December, or if it will continue up to February next year.

Escudero, in response, said that the court will release a more specific schedule for the impeachment trial once Senate Committee on Finance chairman JV Ejercito comes up with a calendar for the budget deliberations.

“In broad strokes, the presiding officer is optimistic and hopeful that we will complete these proceedings before the end of the year,” Escudero stressed.

“Once that comes out, Senator-Judge Zubiri, we can roughly give you a picture and an idea with respect to the timeline and the schedule, and if we will shift, and if we will indeed shift, how and when,” he added.

To recall, Zubiri had suggested that the legislative session at the Senate be conducted at 10 a.m. instead, while the trial be conducted at 3 p.m. onwards.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian last Friday said that senator-judges have reached a consensus as to whether the impeachment trial will be reverted in the afternoon to hasten the proceedings. —AOL, GMA News