Sara Duterte Impeachment: Final Step Before Senate Trial
The impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte have reached a turning point. On Thursday, the impeachment court convenes a pre-trial conference that will set the stage for the formal trial beginning July 6, 2026. This is the last major procedural hurdle before senator-judges hear the evidence that could decide the Vice President's political future.
What Happens at the Pre-Trial Conference?
A pre-trial conference is not the main event. It is the weigh-in before the fight. The House prosecution panel, private litigators, and Duterte's defense lawyers are expected to hammer out procedural matters, identify the issues to be resolved, and agree on evidence that is no longer in dispute.
Both sides will submit witness lists, mark documentary evidence, and raise preliminary motions that could shape how the trial unfolds. They will also set trial dates, agree on the sequencing of evidence presentation, and discuss possible modifications to the order of trial.
For ordinary Filipinos watching from barangay halls and sari-sari stores, this may look like lawyerly paperwork. But make no mistake. What is agreed upon today will determine how smoothly the trial runs, how long it lasts, and whether either side can stall or derail the process.
How Did We Get Here? A Timeline
The road from House vote to Senate pre-trial brief submission took just over a month, hitting every major procedural milestone between May 11 and June 15, 2026.
- April 29, 2026: The House committee on justice found sufficient ground to impeach Duterte.
- May 11, 2026: The House of Representatives voted 257-25 with nine abstentions to impeach Duterte, surpassing the one-third constitutional threshold of 106 votes.
- May 14, 2026: The House formally transmitted the four Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, with Secretary General Cheloy Garafil overseeing the transmittal.
- May 18, 2026: The Senate convened as an impeachment court. Senator-judges took their oaths in red robes, formally opening the trial and bidding Duterte to answer the charges.
- June 1, 2026: Duterte submitted her answer through her lawyers before the 7 p.m. deadline, seeking dismissal of the articles of impeachment and indicating readiness to appear