MANILA — The Senate impeachment court is eyeing July 6 as the start of the full-blown impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, setting the stage for what could become one of the country’s most politically explosive legal battles ahead of the 2028 presidential race.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo said Thursday that Duterte-Carpio has until June 1 to formally answer the Articles of Impeachment transmitted by the House of Representatives, after which House prosecutors will be given 10 calendar days to submit their reply before pre-trial proceedings begin.
“Ang pinaka-trial po talaga ay magsta-start sa July 6, pagkatapos po ng aming break,” Tulfo said in an interview over DZMM AM radio on Thursday morning.
Tulfo added that the Senate may soon release the official calendar for the impeachment proceedings.
“Very soon,” Tulfo said when asked about the possible publication of the trial schedule.
The impeachment trial is expected to intensify political tensions between the camps of Duterte-Carpio and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after the collapse of their once-powerful UniTeam alliance that swept the 2022 national elections.
The Vice President was impeached last week after an overwhelming number of House members voted to transmit the complaint to the Senate over allegations that include graft, misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, and an alleged assassination plot against Marcos.
Under the Constitution, at least 16 votes from the 24-member Senate are needed to convict Duterte-Carpio.
If convicted on any of the charges, Duterte-Carpio would be removed from office and permanently disqualified from holding any elected government position.
Despite the impeachment case, Duterte-Carpio has already declared her intention to seek the presidency in the 2028 elections.
Earlier this week, 23 senators formally took their oath as senator-judges, pledging to “do impartial justice according to the Constitution and the laws of the Philippines.”
Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa was the lone absentee during the oath-taking as he remains in hiding while facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity linked to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
Rodrigo Duterte is currently detained in The Hague while awaiting trial before the ICC over killings linked to his administration’s war on drugs./PN
