Senate convenes as an impeachment court on May 18, 2026. Photo courtesy of Avito Dalan/PNA.
The Senate impeachment court will not hear witness testimony on Wednesday as proceedings shift to oral arguments on the House prosecution’s request to subpoena Vice President Sara Duterte’s bank and tax records.
The prosecution sought access to the records for use in presenting evidence under Article II of the impeachment complaint.
Article II covers allegations involving Duterte’s supposed unexplained wealth and her alleged failure to fully disclose assets in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
The prosecution and defense will each be given 15 minutes to argue for or against the issuance of subpoenas, followed by 10 minutes each for rebuttal.
After the arguments, the senator-judges will meet in a closed-door caucus to discuss the request and determine whether the subpoenas should be issued.
If needed, the court may also set aside time for the senator-judges to deliberate further before issuing a formal ruling.
The scheduled hearing comes after the prosecution decided not to present additional witnesses this week.
The House panel withdrew the planned testimonies of Duterte aide Zuleika Lopez and House Legislative Security Bureau Executive Director Capt. Belinda Bello, saying their statements would have been repetitive and that skipping them could help speed up the trial.