MANILA, Philippines – The Senate convened into an impeachment court on Monday, May 18, amid the Senate leadership shake-up rumors that swirled over the weekend until Monday.

The convening came after the Senate’s first session after the May 13 shooting incident and Senator Bato dela Rosa’s escape on May 14.

Wearing their red robes, the senators took their oath as senator-judges, while Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano assumed the role as the court’s presider.

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Under the 1987 Constitution, senators serve as judges of the impeachment court tasked to decide whether or not to convict Vice President Sara Duterte. Meanwhile, the prosecutors who will defend the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President come from the House of Representatives which recently impeached Duterte for a second time with 257 votes.

The Articles of Impeachment which contain the allegations against the Vice President are now with the impeachment court.

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Cayetano issued a writ of summons, directing Duterte to file an answer to allegations within 10 calendar days upon receipt of the document. The summons, along with a copy of the articles, will be sent by the Senate sergeant-at-arms to the Vice President.

“She is directed to appear before the Senate hall of the Senate of the Philippines upon notice,” the Senate President said.

After receiving Duterte’s reply, the House prosecution team will file their reply within five calendar days.

The pre-trial — the phase where the parties discuss their evidence to be presented during the trial — will happen shortly after. After the pre-trial, Cayetano said the impeachment court will set the schedule for the trial proper.

What if Duterte fails to respond or fails to appear on the day she was summoned? Based on the Senate’s impeachment rules, the “trial shall proceed nevertheless as upon a plea of not guilty.”

Duterte became the first Philippine official to be impeached twice after 257 members of the House of Representatives voted to impeach her again on May 11. This came after the botched proceedings in 2025 caused by the Supreme Court decision that ruled the 2025 Articles of Impeachment as unconstitutional.

The latest allegations against Duterte include her threats to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family, alleged misuse of confidential funds, and alleged unexplained wealth. – Rappler.com