By Cliff Potts, Editor-in-Chief, WPS News
BAYBAY CITY, LEYTE, Philippines, August 24, 2026 — 0705 PHST

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The Trial Keeps Moving, But Slowly

Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial is still moving through the Senate, but the latest developments are less about courtroom fireworks and more about pace, scheduling, and the slow grind of the confidential-funds case.

The House prosecution panel is now backing a proposal to move impeachment hearings to 3 p.m. onward and add Friday trial days to make up for delays. According to the Philippine News Agency, the proposal followed weather-related disruptions that forced the Senate impeachment court to miss proceedings while prosecutors were still presenting evidence under Article I, the article covering Duterte’s alleged misuse and irregular liquidation of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds (Philippine News Agency, 2026a).

That is the plain-English update: no verdict, no collapse, no dismissal. The trial is alive, but it is dragging, and the Senate is now looking for ways to keep the case from being swallowed by weather, legislative work, and calendar pressure.

Article I Still Dominates

The center of the trial remains Article I, the confidential-funds case. That article covers the alleged misuse of ₱500 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and ₱112.5 million from the Department of Education, where Duterte previously served as secretary.

The prosecution has been building that case with documents, audit findings, bank records, and testimony from people tied to the handling of those funds. Earlier this month, the House prosecution panel brought 15 boxes of documentary evidence to the Senate impeachment court, describing the records as part of its effort to trace the confidential-funds trail (Philippine News Agency, 2026b).

That is not glamorous television, but it is probably where the case lives or dies. The Senate is not being asked merely to judge political speeches or public anger. It is being asked to decide whether the paperwork, withdrawals, liquidation documents, and audit findings prove impeachable misconduct.

Prosecutors Claim a Pattern

The prosecution has also begun framing the fund handling as a possible pattern rather than a one-time paperwork mess. The Philippine News Agency reported that House prosecutors pointed to testimony from former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta and described Duterte as “calling the shots” in the handling of the ₱125 million confidential-fund release (Philippine News Agency, 2026c).

That matters because the prosecution needs more than sloppy documentation. It needs to show responsibility, control, and intent strongly enough to convince senator-judges that the irregularities rise to impeachable conduct.

The defense, for its part, can still argue that confidential-fund rules are complicated, that audit findings are not automatic proof of guilt, and that the prosecution is stretching paperwork disputes into a political conviction effort. That is the real fight under all the noise.

No Trade-Off, Prosecutors Say

The political rumor mill is also running. Prosecutors have denied talk of a supposed trade-off involving Duterte resigning in exchange for being allowed to run in 2028. PNA reported that the House prosecution said it would press ahead with the impeachment trial regardless of such reports (Philippine News Agency, 2026d).

That denial is worth noting because it shows how much of this trial is happening outside the formal courtroom. There is the evidence fight inside the Senate, and then there is the political fight over whether Duterte remains viable for 2028.

Finish Before December?

The House side is also looking at the calendar. A House press release said prosecutors are targeting an end-September wrap-up for their evidence presentation and support finishing the trial before December, though Senate leadership has acknowledged the proceedings could still spill into next year (House of Representatives, 2026).

That is the big picture now: the prosecution wants speed, the Senate needs order, and the defense benefits from time if delay weakens public attention or political momentum.

For WPS News, the clean read is this: the Sara Duterte impeachment trial is no longer in its opening-drama phase. It is in the long, tedious, essential phase where records, testimony, and scheduling discipline decide whether the case becomes a serious accountability proceeding or collapses into another Philippine political marathon.


APA-Style Source List:

House of Representatives of the Philippines. (2026, August 21). House prosecution targets end-September evidence wrap-up, backs VP Sara trial completion before December.

Philippine News Agency. (2026a, August 19). Prosecution backs 3 p.m. impeachment hearings, Friday trial day.

Philippine News Agency. (2026b, August 3). Prosecution presents 15 boxes containing confidential fund records.

Philippine News Agency. (2026c, August 18). Prosecution: VP Sara “calling the shots” in ₱125M secret fund handling.

Philippine News Agency. (2026d, August 17). No “trade-off” on VP Sara impeachment – prosecution.

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