The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, hold oral arguments on the disputed voting threshold in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Senate impeachment court may reach a verdict in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte by December 16, 2026, its spokesperson Reginald Tongol said Friday.
"Mga ang tinitingnan po namin kung iko-consume ng lahat po ng mga 30 days na hiningi ng depensa o ng respondent yung kanyang lahat ng mga araw na yun, aabot po tayo ng mga around December 16, mga ganun po," Tongol said.
"Iyan yung target. Of course, alam naman natin sa targets natin, may reality rin tayo on the ground," he said. “Ngayon po, with the way that the impeachment trial is going on, mas malakas po yung confidence ng ating impeachment court na matatapos to bago mag-holiday recess po ang Senado. So by December 16 ay magkakaroon na ng final verdict.”
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The impeachment court initially estimated that the trial could reach February or March, based on the pre-trial order.
But the trial is currently around 20 days ahead of schedule, despite the cancellation of hearings on Wednesday, September 30 and Friday, October 2 and the abbreviated hearing on October 1, Tongol noted.
If the prosecution drops article 3 on bribery allegations, the trial will be 27 days ahead of schedule, he added.
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Tongol said that once the prosecution wraps up its case, the trial will not automatically go to hearing the defense. He said the prosecution would have to first make its formal offer for their evidence which would be subject to comments from the defense.
“At pagkatapos po nun, mag-uumpisa na po magpresenta ang respondent para doon sa kanyang kaso naman po, sa depensa," he said.
"Hindi ako sigurado how the impeachment court would want that to mangyari po kasi sa ordinary mga korte nagkakaroon kami ng konting lull dahil nagpa-file pa kami ng formal offer at magkokomento yung kabila at magde-desisyon pa yung korte tungkol dun sa formal offer po namin. So hintayin po natin yung ating presiding officer at senator-judges kung ano yung pleasure po nila when it comes to scheduling the formal offer of evidence at saka yung susunod na pagbubukas naman ng depensa ng kanilang evidence in chief."
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