Senators gather in caucus to tackle Sara Duterte's impeachment trial

[Updated July 3, 2026, 12:43 p.m.]

MANILA,  Philippines— Senators on Friday met  in a caucus ahead of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, July 6.

Those who attended the caucus are Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, Senate President Pro Tempore  Vicente “Tito” Sotto III,  Sens. Panfilo Lacson, Risa Hontiveros,  JV Ejercito, Erwin Tulfo,  Juan Miguel Zubiri, Francis “Chiz” Escudero,  Loren Legarda and Robin Padilla.

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Only Legarda and Padilla belong to the minority  group.

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READ: Amended rules allow other senators to preside over impeachment trials

“Its all about impeachment,” Tulfo told reporters.

Asked if the filing of plunder case against opposition Sen. Rodante Marcoleta was discussed during the caucus, Tulfo reiterated that they only focused on the impeachment topic.

“We only discussed the impeachment,” he said. “We were given documents to follow the sequencing. That’s it.”

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Tulfo also declined to say if the  issue on who will  preside over the trial was tackled during the meeting.

Before the caucus, however,  a senator speculated that the minority group  was opposed to the possibility of Escudero presiding over the trial.

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“It appears that the minority is opposed,”  said the senator, who  spoke on condition of anonymity.

The upper chamber has amended the impeachment rules to allow other senators, other than the Senate president to preside over the proceedings.

The previous rules explicitly stated that the Senate president should preside in all other cases of impeachment, except when the president of the Philippines is on trial.

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The amended rules still designates the Senate president as the presiding officer “unless the Senate, by a  majority vote of the members present, elects another senator as the presiding officer.” /mr