Senate President Gatchalian Says VP Sara Duterte’s Impeachment Trial Will Likely Cross Into December as Senate Juggles 2027 Budget
SHERWIN GATCHALIAN – Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will likely run into December, as the Senate tries to fit the defense’s presentation of evidence and the debates on the proposed 2027 national budget into a tight year-end calendar.
“Parang hindi na kaya ng November from the looks of it. So I’m sure, tingin ko tatawid ito ng December,” Gatchalian told reporters at the Senate, saying it no longer looks possible to wrap up the trial in November.
The trial is set to resume on November 9, when the defense takes its turn. The prosecution rested its case on October 15. What remains before the impeachment court is the charge involving alleged unexplained wealth, after the court allowed the prosecution to withdraw the three other articles.
Gatchalian said it is too early to talk about the outcome. “To be fair sa respondent, di pa na-present ang defense yung kanilang ebidensya at testimony so pakinggan muna natin,” he said, pointing out that the Vice President’s side has not yet presented its evidence and witnesses.
He also brushed aside talk that the defense would need only eight days for its presentation, saying he had no information about any such arrangement. It is up to the defense, he said, to decide what evidence and testimonies it will present.
Trial pause for budget debates
Under a tentative schedule, the Senate will first prioritize the trial, then suspend it for about one to two weeks to make way for plenary debates on the 2027 General Appropriations Bill. The trial may then resume if the defense has not finished its case. Gatchalian said he is working with Senate finance committee chairperson Sen. JV Ejercito to finalize the calendar.
The Senate President admitted that handling both at the same time will be “very challenging.” He said the goal is to approve and ratify the budget before the year ends, even if senators have to give up their holiday break. “Just like last year, if necessary, we will work through the Christmas holidays. We have no choice,” he said.
Gatchalian also warned that heated debates with the House of Representatives are possible, since the House-approved version of the budget departs sharply from the original proposal. He said any amendment must have a proper basis and that he had coordinated with the Department of Public Works and Highways to make sure proposed changes are backed by feasibility studies and work programs.
No talk of succession yet
Asked about who could succeed the Vice President, Gatchalian declined to comment. “Tapusin muna natin yung impeachment before we talk about that,” he said, asking that the trial be finished first.
The question of succession has already divided senators. Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano earlier asked his colleagues to reject the vice presidency if the Vice President is convicted, as reported in Cayetano Urges Senator-Judges to Reject VP Post if Sara Duterte Is Convicted. Sen. Panfilo Lacson later disagreed with that call, as covered in Lacson Pushes Back on Call for Senator-Judges to Reject VP Post.