LIVE: Senate convenes as an impeachment court for Sara Duterte trial

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate convenes as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, May 18 — the second time  in as many years.

The House of Representatives submitted the articles of impeachment to the upper chamber just days earlier, on May 13. This means that the next step in the impeachment process, the convening of the impeachment court, takes place in less than a week as earlier set by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.

This is different from the situation in 2025, when the House submitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate in February but the latter, then led by Chiz Escudero, only convened the Senate into an impeachment court months later, in June. In between, there were heated debates on the definition of “forthwith” in the Constitution in relation to impeachment proceedings at the Senate.

Duterte is the first Philippine official to be impeached for a second time.

Watch the livestream here on Monday, at 3 pm. – Rappler.com