By Cliff Potts, Editor-in-Chief, WPS News
BAYBAY CITY, LEYTE, Philippines, July 27, 2026 — 0935 PHST

Support WPS News:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/WPSNews

Trial Pauses, But the Case Does Not

Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial is temporarily paused for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address, but the case itself has not slowed down. The next real movement comes Wednesday, July 29, when the Senate impeachment court is expected to resume hearings and turn back toward the confidential-funds allegations at the center of the prosecution’s money-trail case.

The court suspended proceedings for July 27 and 28 because of the SONA schedule and related political activities. According to the Philippine News Agency, Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero said the next trial date will be July 29, with proceedings set to run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by the regular Senate session at 4 p.m. (Philippine News Agency, 2026a).

The Money Trail Takes Center Stage

The important development is that the trial is now shifting away from the earlier Article IV presentation involving Duterte’s alleged threats and toward Article I, which focuses on the alleged misuse and irregular disbursement of confidential funds.

House prosecutors are expected to present two former Land Bank of the Philippines branch managers when the trial resumes. PNA reported that former LandBank Shaw Boulevard branch manager Violeta Constantino and former LandBank Department of Education branch manager Nenita Camposano have been directed to appear in connection with Article I, which covers Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds while serving as vice president and education secretary (Philippine News Agency, 2026b).

Philstar reported that House prosecutors plan to present three witnesses next week on the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds. That figure includes ₱500 million from the Office of the Vice President and ₱112.5 million from the Department of Education (Philstar, 2026).

Financial Records Fight Continues

The prosecution also won a major procedural victory when the Senate impeachment court approved subpoenas for financial records connected to Duterte, her husband Manases Carpio, and several linked entities. Reuters reported that the subpoenas cover records sought by prosecutors as they try to prove allegations of unexplained wealth, although the court placed limits on the request and noted that the documents are meant to establish a financial baseline rather than introduce new charges (Reuters, 2026).

That distinction matters. The prosecution wants bank, tax, and financial records to support its broader case. The defense argues that the requests amount to overreach and political fishing. The Senate court has now allowed part of that records fight to move forward, while still keeping some limits in place.

What To Watch Next

The next stage is not flashy, but it may be decisive. The early phase of the trial gave the public video evidence and political drama. The next phase gives the court documents, banking witnesses, fund releases, and liquidation questions.

That is where this trial either becomes a serious accountability case or starts to look like a political weapon with paperwork attached. The politics are still unavoidable. Duterte remains a likely 2028 presidential contender, and conviction could remove her from office and bar her from future public office. But the Senate now has to deal with evidence, not just rhetoric.

For WPS News, the clean read is this: the impeachment trial is paused for SONA, but the real fight resumes July 29. The case is now headed directly into the money trail, and that is where prosecutors must prove whether the confidential-funds allegations can survive contact with the records.

Sidebar: What Is SONA?

SONA stands for State of the Nation Address. In the Philippines, it is the president’s annual speech to Congress and the country. It is required under Article VII, Section 23 of the 1987 Constitution, which says the president must address Congress at the opening of its regular session. In practice, that usually happens on the fourth Monday of July (Presidential Management Staff, 2026; Presidential Communications Office, 2023).

For readers outside the Philippines, think of it as the Philippine version of the U.S. State of the Union address, but tied to the opening of Congress’ regular session. The president reports on the condition of the country, highlights administration priorities, and often lays out proposed legislation or policy goals for the coming year.

That is why the Sara Duterte impeachment trial paused around SONA. The speech is not just a televised political event. It is a major constitutional and legislative moment, bringing the president, senators, representatives, Cabinet officials, diplomats, security forces, protesters, and national media into the same political space at the same time.


APA-Style Source List:

Philippine News Agency. (2026a, July 21). Court resets impeachment calendar for post-SONA phase.

Philippine News Agency. (2026b, July 23). 2 former LandBank managers to testify on VP Sara impeachment trial.

Philstar. (2026, July 24). Bank managers to testify at impeach trial.

Presidential Communications Office. (2023, July 21). FilipiKnows: Things Filipinos should know about the SONA.

Presidential Management Staff. (2026). State of the Nation Address.

Reuters. (2026, July 20). Prosecutors win subpoenas for Philippine vice president Duterte’s financial records in impeachment case.

Discover more from WPS News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.