The Philippine Senate will convene as an impeachment court on Monday, May 18, to begin proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano announced on Thursday amid mounting political tension in the country’s upper legislative chamber.
According to PhilStar, Cayetano disclosed the development in a formal letter addressed to House Speaker Faustino Dy III, confirming that the Senate had officially received the articles of impeachment and supporting annexes transmitted by the House of Representatives on Wednesday night, May 13.
According to the Senate President, the impeachment court is scheduled to convene at 3 p.m. on Monday to commence consideration of the charges against Duterte in line with constitutional provisions.
“Pursuant to Rule 1 of the Senate Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Rules, the Senate has taken proper order of the impeachment and shall immediately proceed to its consideration, consistent with its mandate under Article XI, Section 3 of the Constitution,” Cayetano stated in the letter.
He added that the Senate secretariat had already been instructed to include the impeachment articles in the chamber’s Calendar for Ordinary Business for referral to the impeachment court.
“The court shall be convened on 18 May, 2026, 3:00 p.m. or at the soonest possible time, absent any question on the rules and procedure relating to the transmitted Articles,” Cayetano said, noting that both parties would later be directed to appear before the court on a date yet to be determined.
The impeachment proceedings come during a turbulent week for the Philippine Senate. The transmission of the impeachment complaint followed reports of gunshots heard inside the Senate complex, while lawmakers were also dealing with a tense standoff involving Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who had reportedly remained under Senate protection while facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity.
Cayetano himself only emerged as Senate President earlier this week following a dramatic leadership shake-up that saw a Duterte-aligned bloc gain control of the chamber after Dela Rosa resurfaced publicly following months away from the political spotlight.
Vice President Duterte is facing impeachment allegations bordering on misuse of public funds, unexplained wealth and alleged threats made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
Speaking to reporters after the announcement, Cayetano said the Senate would strictly follow constitutional and procedural guidelines in preparing a calendar for the impeachment proceedings.
“What we’re doing now, after the meeting, is we’re going to make a draft calendar. And the calendar will not be based on anything discretionary. It will be based on objectivity,” he said.
Although the impeachment court will formally convene on May 18, Cayetano indicated that the actual trial proceedings may begin later, possibly in July, depending on procedural timelines.
“July… I don’t want to preempt the calendar. But if it’s 15 session days, then we will follow that,” he stated.
Cayetano also dismissed speculation that the recent leadership changes in the Senate were intended to frustrate or delay Duterte’s impeachment trial.
“Having said that, we will follow the law. So walang magiging delays,” he said.
He further suggested that impeachment hearings may likely hold from Monday to Wednesday or Monday to Thursday, noting that Fridays would probably be reserved for motions and procedural matters.
