The Senate as an impeachment court will convene on June 3 2025, a day after members of the House of Representatives Prosecution Panel read the 7 charges in the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Senate President Francis Escudero, in a letter to House Speaker Martin Romualdez, said that, pursuant to rule 1 of the Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials, the Senate will be ready to receive the House of Representatives’ panel of prosecutors at 4 p.m. June 2, 2025.

“As stated in our letter dated February 24, 2025, the Senate shall expect the prosecution to read the seven charges under the Articles of Impeachment in open session,” the letter said.

“Thereafter, the Senate shall be convened as an impeachment court at 9 o clock in the morning of June 3, 2025 for the purpose of issuing the summons and such other relevant orders.”

Last February, the House of Representatives accused Vice President Sara Duterte of betrayal of public trust, culpable violations of the Constitution and/or committed high crimes for “contracting an assassin and plotting to murder or assassinate the incumbent President, the First Lady, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.”

Duterte made the alleged threat in an expletive-filled press conference in the early morning of November 23, 2024 after the House detention room of her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez.

The impeachment complaint also accused Duterte of betrayalof public trust and graft and corruption over alleged misuse and malversation of funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.

The other allegations accuse Duterte of bribery, murder, conspiracy, acts of destabilization, amassing unexplaned wealth and failure to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

“Upon the presentation of articles of impeachment and the organization of the Senate as hereinbefore provided, a writ of summons shall be issued to the person impeached, reciting or incorporating said articles, and notifying him/her to appear before the Senate upon a day and at a place to be fixed by the Senate and named in such writ, and to file his/her Answer to said articles of impeachment within a non-extendible period of ten (10) days from receipt thereof; to which the prosecutors may Reply within a non-extendible period of five (5) days therefrom; and to stand to and abide by the orders and judgments of the Senate, the Senate Rules on Impeachment said,” the letter read.

Last February, Escudero wrote all parties concerned regarding the proposed timetable as follows:

2 June 2025 – Resumption of session; presentation of the Articles of Impeachment by the prosecutors; and Approval of the revised Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials (3:00

p.m.)

3 June 2025 – Convening of the Impeachment Court and oath-taking of incumbent Senator-

judges (9:00 a.m.).

4 June 2025 – Issuance of summons.

14 to 24 June 2025 – Reception of pleadings.

24 June to 25 July 2025 – Pre-Trial.

28 July 2025 – Inaugural session of the Senate of the 20th Congress (10:00 a.m.); Joint

Session of Congress to hear the State of the Nation Address of the President (4:00 p.m.).

29 July 2025 – Oath-taking of newly-elected Senator-judges before the Senate sitting as

an Impeachment Court (9:00 a.m); Plenary session of the Senate (3:00 p.m).

30 July 2025 – Start of trial (9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.).