The Senate on Monday convened as an impeachment court, calling on Vice President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio, to face charges of corruption, misappropriation of public funds, treason, and alleged conspiracy to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
Senate President Alan Peter S. Cayetano, who presided over the trial court, ordered the issuance of summons to Mrs. Duterte and gave her 10 calendar days to file a response.
“Let a writ of summons be issued to Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte, who is directed to file her answer within a non-extended period of 10 days from the receipt thereof in accordance with Article VII of the Impeachment Laws,” said Mr. Cayetano told the plenary.
The trial court met amid reports of a Senate coup, with the Senate majority holding 13 seats against a minority of 11, after Senators Juan Miguel F. Zubiri and Joseph Victor G. Ejercito decided to join the latter on Monday.
The court also ordered Ms. Duterte to appear before the chamber after the notice, and the prosecutors were given an unextended period of five days to submit a response after receiving Ms. Duterte’s response.
Ms. Duterte’s legal team said it would comply with the court’s order to extradite the case but declined to comment at this time.
“We will comply and give an appropriate response in accordance with the Constitution and applicable laws,” Duterte’s camp said in a statement.
“At this time, and out of respect for the process, we deem it prudent to refrain from further comment.”
The House of Representatives last week put Mrs. Duterte’s second term with 257 votes, 25 against, and nine abstentions.
The House first impeached the Vice President in February 2025 with the approval of 200 congressmen who allowed the committee to send impeachment documents directly to the Senate without any hearing. However, it died in the Senate, which retained the articles after the decision of the Supreme Court that declared the proceedings unconstitutional.
According to Mr. Cayetano, has already spoken to the junior members of the Senate and will coordinate with the judges-senators to establish an impeachment calendar.
He said they will deal with the system of prosecution, defense and gangs to avoid affecting their legal work.
The prosecutors will include the Chairman of the House Justice Committee and Batangas Rep. Gerville R. Luistro, Group List Representative. James Mark Terry L. Ridon, Group Listing Attorney. Rep. Leila Norma Eulalia M. de Lima, Dinagat Rep. Arlene “Kaka” J. Bag-ao, Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith T. Flores, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Lordan G. Suan, and Manila Rep. Joel R. Chua.
Meanwhile, Malacañang urged the senators to use the proceedings of Ms. Duterte’s trial to hold accountable officials accused of corruption.
“What we must always remember is not only the Senate, not only the Senate and senators but also the Filipinos – those who must answer according to the President must answer,” Palace Press spokesperson Clarissa A. Castro told a forum in the Philippines.
“Let no one be a way for those who should answer to escape,” he added.
2028 BID FOR PRESIDENT
The Philippine Senate’s handling of the impeachment case against Ms. Duterte could influence the politics leading up to the 2028 presidential race, potentially boosting his profile or weakening his bid for Malacañang, GlobalSource Partners said.
In a statement on Friday, GlobalSource Partners Philippine analyst and principal counsel Diwa C. Guinigundo said the upper chamber is faced with an “institutional choice” between allowing a quick or open trial or using procedural delays to protect political allies.
“If the Vice-President succeeds in denying the allegations, he can emerge politically strong before the May 2028 presidential election,” said Mr Guinigundo. “In Philippine politics, stories about persecution often evoke sympathy and political pressure.
This happened after senators allied with Duterte moved the chamber, including Mr. Cayetano as the new president of the Senate just as the House voted to remove Ms. Duterte from office.
According to Mr. Guinigundo, Mrs. Duterte may lose his political power before the 2028 elections if the evidence presented during the trial “proves to be credible and damaging.”
“If the evidence proves to be credible and damaging, the trial could reduce Duterte’s political reputation before 2028,” said Mr. Guinigundo. “All hearings will place issues of accountability, misuse of public funds, and abuse of office under continued public scrutiny.”
“If the image of inevitability begins to crack, coalitions change, business interests are recalculated, and political credibility weakens. This is why this war of blame may shape the political landscape leading up to 2028,” he added.
Delaying the trial also risks undermining the Senate’s credibility and public trust, especially amid increasing public pressure, Mr. Guinigundo.
“The Senate can allow the impeachment trial to proceed transparently and let the evidence speak for itself. Or it can block the process with delays and evasive methods,” he said.
“The first option may be politically uncomfortable, but it maintains institutional credibility and public trust. The second may seem safe in the short term, but it risks deepening public criticism of democracy itself. And that may be decisive in 2028,” he added. – Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel, Katherine K. Chan, again Chloe Mari A. Hufana
