ASEANEWS HEADLINE-VP Du30 impeachment | VP impeachment trial on as Senate convenes court
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Senate convenes as impeachment court for VP Duterte trial | ANC
Here are the stories on ANC’s The World Tonight (May 18, 2026).
- Vice President Sara Duterte is asked to appear before the freshly-convened Senate impeachment court.
- Plunder and graft charges are recommended against senator Jinggoy Estrada, ex-Public Works Chief Manuel Bonoan, and several others over allegedly anomalous flood control projects,
- Malacanang believes the Senate was never under attack, contradicting claims made by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.
- The Philippine peso sinks to a new record low of 61.75 to the U.S. dollar.
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MANILA, Philippines — The Senate on Monday formally convened as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, with 23 senators donning maroon robes and taking their oath as judges.
Notably absent from the proceedings was Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who managed to sneak out of the Senate premises early Thursday following a shooting incident involving members of the Senate sergeant-at-arms and National Bureau of Investigation agents on Wednesday night.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano moved to convene the chamber as an impeachment court as their session started on Monday. Sen. Camille Villar then administered the oath for Cayetano to be sworn in as the court’s presiding officer.
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“The court, having been organized and the articles of impeachment having been presented, let a writ of summons be issued to Vice President Sara Duterte who is directed to file an answer within a nonextendible period of 10 days from receipt, pursuant to Article 7 of the rules of procedure of impeachment trial,” Cayetano announced.
READ: Prosecution team formally enters appearance in Duterte impeachment trial
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Ads by:“She is directed to appear before the session hall of the Senate upon notice. The Sergeant-at-Arms is directed to serve the written summons on Vice President Sara along with a copy of the articles of impeachment,” he added.
The prosecution, on the other hand, may file a reply within a nonextendible period of five days from receipt of the answer.
READ: House: ‘Articles of impeachment’ vs Sara Duterte sent to Senate
“The parties may file their pleadings and annexes in person or through email. All other pleadings, motions, similar papers intended for the consideration of this court may be filed electronically,” Cayetano said.
“The Clerk of Court is hereby authorized to calendar the case for pretrial and issue the corresponding notices to the parties after the last pleading is filed,” he added.
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“Upon conclusion of the pretrial, the trial proper shall commence on a date and time fixed by the court of which the parties shall be duly notified,” he said.
VP to comply
Cayetano earlier said the Senate was ready to fulfill its constitutional duty and would not delay the impeachment trial of Duterte.
Following the Senate’s convening as an impeachment court, the Vice President’s defense team said they would respond accordingly to the issuance of a writ of summons directing her to answer the articles of impeachment within 10 calendar days.
In a Viber message to reporters on Monday, lawyer Michael Poa, legal counsel and spokesperson for Duterte’s impeachment team, said: “We note that the Senate has convened as an Impeachment Court and that summons will be issued in due course. We will comply and file the appropriate response in accordance with the Constitution and applicable rules.”
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Ads by:He declined to comment on the defense’s legal strategy, saying that “at this stage, and out of respect for the process, we find it prudent to refrain from further comment.”
House prosecutors ready
Over at the House of Representatives, the panel of prosecutors elected by the lower chamber for Duterte’s impeachment trial said it was ready to present the evidence proving the charges of corruption and constitutional violation against her, a lawmaker said on Monday.
The 11-member prosecution team also pledged to comply with any directives from the Senate, including all orders, processes, and rulings, according to Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, one of the elected House prosecutors.
“We are ready to present the evidence before the impeachment court in the coming days,” he said in a statement.
Despite Duterte’s trial being thrown into uncertainty last week after her allies seized control of the 24-member Senate in a sudden leadership shake-up that secured Cayetano’s presidency of the upper chamber, Ridon earlier said any such shifts in the Senate leadership will not affect how the prosecution panel will conduct the impeachment case against Duterte.
“It’s just that the leadership will change … the composition will remain the same,” he told reporters. “We still have to present every piece of evidence and convince at least 16 senator-judges that there is reason to convict the Vice President.”
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The House of Representatives on May 11 voted overwhelmingly to impeach Duterte over alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of state funds, and a public threat to have the President assassinated if she herself were killed due to their political disputes. The articles of impeachment were transmitted to the Senate on May 13.
No Palace meddling
Meanwhile, Malacañang said President Marcos would not interfere in the Duterte impeachment trial.
“We know that an impeachment trial is the work and mandate of the Senate. There is no need for the President to interfere in the Senate’s mandate because we have separation of powers,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said on Monday.
According to Castro, Marcos has always maintained that all officials involved in any instance of wrongdoing in the government, including the flood control mess, must be held liable.
“The impeachment trial cannot be an exception. If there are those who need to be held responsible, then they must be made accountable,” she said.
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She urged the senator-judges to remain fair, “because the process of impeachment trial is ultimately for the best interest of the Filipino people.” —WITH REPORTS FROM ISABELLE PECHAY AND AP
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May 19, 2026
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