MANILA, Philippines — The historic impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte has officially entered its final procedural phase before moving to an open court. The Senate Impeachment Court formally commenced the closed-door pre-trial conference, clearing away the final major administrative hurdles before senator-judges begin hearing active evidence next month.
The conference serves as a critical sorting stage designed to streamline the high-stakes proceedings and avoid prolonged procedural delays once the formal trial begins on July 6, 2026.
Presided over by acting Senate President and Presiding Officer Sherwin Gatchalian at the Senator C.M. Recto Room, the pre-trial conference functions as an administrative buffer. Rather than debating guilt or innocence, prosecution and defense teams are legally bound to map out the exact boundaries of the impending trial:
[ THE JUNE 18 PRE-TRIAL RESOLUTION CHECKLIST ]
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┌────────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
[ 1. EVIDENCE AND FACTS ] [ 2. WITNESS REGULATION ] [ 3. CALENDAR MATTERS ]
• **Stipulation of Facts:** Both sides • **The Witness Pools:** The panels • **Sequence Protocols:** The court is
identify undisputed details to • establish the exact number and • setting concrete trial dates, the
bypass unnecessary testimonies. • identities of available witnesses. • chronological order of evidence
• **Documentary Marking:** Lawyers for • **The Protection Rule:** For safety• presentation, and the time limits
both camps officially mark their • reasons, the identities of certain • allocated to each side for cross-
exhibits and waive early objections. • witnesses may remain hidden until • examinations.
• • their scheduled trial date. •
According to Senate Secretary and Clerk of the Impeachment Court Renato “Rey” Bantug, while the conference framework is calendar-blocked until June 25, 2026, the actual duration will depend entirely on how fast the panels navigate the hundreds of pages of submitted arguments. Failure to appear or cooperate during this window results in an automatic waiver of a party’s right to present specific evidence.
The commencement follows a flurry of legal activity on Monday, June 15, when both the House prosecution panel and the Vice President’s defense counsel beat a strict 7:00 p.m. deadline to submit their expansive pre-trial briefs:
[ THE LEGAL COMPILATION BASELINE ] │ ▼[ The House Prosecution Brief ] ──► Submitted by House Secretary-General Cheloy Garafil, the **57-page brief** outlines a strategy built around the presentation of **over 30 witnesses** and extensive financial audit trails. │ ▼[ The Duterte Defense Brief ] ──► Handed down by lead counsel Atty. Michael Poa, the **70-page brief** seeks an immediate, total dismissal of all charges, revealing plans to deploy "several" key witnesses to the stand.
Because the rules dictate that the pre-trial conference remain strictly closed to both the public and the media to encourage candid legal discussions, the setup has drawn heavy pushback from civil society networks.
The youth-led citizen coalition Bantay Senado, spearheaded by convener and spokesperson Cleve Arguelles, issued an urgent appeal to the Senate to lift the media blackout. The group argued that the trial of a sitting vice president is an essential constitutional process rather than a private legal dispute, stating that “every stage of that process, including the pre-trial, must be conducted transparently. The public is not an optional participant in the proceedings.”
The looming July 6 trial proper will force the Senate to judge the Vice President across a broad, multi-layered four-count indictment passed down by a historic supermajority vote of 257 lawmakers in the House of Representatives:
- Confidential Fund Anomalies: Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, graft, and betrayal of public trust via the systematic liquidation and misuse of ₱500 million under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and ₱112.5 million under the Department of Education (DepEd).
- Unexplained Wealth Accumulation: Alleged amassing of unexplained wealth and assets manifestly disproportionate to her lawful income earned during her tenure as a public official.
- DepEd Procurement Bribery: Alleged bribery and graft through the distribution of monetary gifts and illicit payments to DepEd officials to actively bypass and circumvent regional procurement laws.
- Inciting Sedition & Grave Threats: Alleged high crimes and betrayal of public trust tied to public statements contracting the assassination of the President, the First Lady, and the former Speaker of the House, alongside actively inciting sedition against the republic.
Parallel to the pre-trial kickoff, a strong consensus has formed among the Senate’s majority bloc to officially elect Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero to serve as the permanent presiding officer of the trial court once the formal hearings open, citing his extensive background as a lawyer and his previous experience managing the short-lived 2025 impeachment setup.