Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian called on the public to closely follow the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying transparency and public awareness are essential in ensuring accountability in government.
Gatchalian said the impeachment proceedings are a crucial part of the country’s accountability mechanisms.
“Itong impeachment trial part ng ating proseso sa pananagutan o accountability, at ito ay importanteng proseso para masigurado natin na ang mga institusyon ay gumagana at hindi maulit ‘yung mga ganitong hindi magandang gawain ng lingkod bayan,” Gatchalian said.
He added that the Senate impeachment court will explain the proceedings in simple terms so the public can better understand the process.
“As much as possible, i-laymanize natin ’yung gagawin nating simple at maintindihan ng taong-bayan ’yung proseso dahil ginagawa natin ito para sa kanila,” he said.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte in May over allegations of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.
On June 1, Duterte’s legal team filed its answer to the Articles of Impeachment and asked the impeachment court to dismiss the case.
Gatchalian expressed confidence that the proceedings would be completed within a reasonable period despite the Senate’s legislative workload.
“Lahat naman nag-a-agree na sa madaling panahon ay matatapos dahil marami tayong ginagawa—budget, batas, investigations, at iba pa,” he said.
The Senate President also said security preparations are in place for all possible scenarios during the trial, including protest actions that could arise following developments involving Senator Rodante Marcoleta.
“Pinaghahandaan ang lahat ng possible scenarios… kasama na dito ang paghahanda sa mga rallies,” Gatchalian said, declining to elaborate further.
On Friday, the Office of the Ombudsman filed a plunder case against Marcoleta before the Sandiganbayan over P75 million in campaign donations that were allegedly omitted from his Statement of Campaign Expenditures for the 2025 senatorial elections.
Philippine National Police Public Information Office chief P/Col. Allen Rae Co said authorities would coordinate with Senate leadership should an arrest warrant against Marcoleta be issued while he is inside the Senate.
Meanwhile, the Pasay City government will implement temporary road closures around the Senate complex as part of heightened security measures.
The northbound and southbound lanes of Diokno Boulevard, from Seaside Boulevard to Atang dela Rama Street, including nearby intersections, will be closed every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. beginning July 6. The traffic scheme will remain in effect throughout the impeachment proceedings.
