MANILA, Philippines — House leaders and impeachment prosecutors support longer trial days, including possible whole-day sessions, to speed up the presentation of evidence in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case before the Senate shifts its focus to the 2027 national budget.
“We welcome that. We know that there’s a time element there,” Deputy Speaker Francisco Paolo Ortega V said at a press briefing Wednesday, the 21st day of the trial.
Ortega, who endorsed one of the impeachment complaints that led to Duterte’s Senate trial, acknowledged that longer sessions could make each trial day more demanding but could shorten the proceedings overall.
Senate President Francis Escudero, who presides over the impeachment court, said the Senate is considering whole-day sessions starting at 10 a.m. and continuing into the evening to accommodate two or three witnesses in a day.
Escudero presented a tentative schedule covering Oct. 1 and 2, Oct. 5 to 9, and Oct. 12 to 15. The trial would then give way to Senate committee hearings on the proposed 2027 national budget.
The impeachment court could resume proceedings on Nov. 9 and 16 during the period for plenary budget deliberations, before returning to a regular schedule on Nov. 23. Senator-judges have yet to finalize the calendar.
House prosecutor and Committee on Public Accounts Chair Terry Ridon said the prosecution is prepared for a more intensive schedule. He estimated that prosecutors could present up to three witnesses during a whole-day session, depending on the length of direct and cross-examinations and questions from senator-judges.
Former Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, an adviser to the House impeachment team, said agreements between the prosecution and defense on stipulated facts and evidence could further reduce the time needed for testimony.
The prosecution is also considering whether it can dispense with testimony from former Department of Education special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda through an agreement with the defense because of his medical condition.
Lead House prosecutor and House Committee on Justice Chair Gerville Luistro told the impeachment court that any stipulation would have to preserve the prosecution’s ability to prove its charge.
The prosecution is currently presenting evidence on the first impeachment article, which accuses Duterte of misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds—P500 million at the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million at the Department of Education during her tenure as education secretary.
