By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate remains without a final agreement on a proposed overhaul of its session and impeachment trial schedules, as mounting delays and the looming budget season put pressure on the chamber to accelerate the proceedings.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday said senators had reached a consensus in principle on swapping the schedules of the chamber’s regular plenary sessions and the impeachment trial.
But he clarified that no change would be implemented next week.
“Most likely, next next week,” Gatchalian said in a message when asked when the proposed arrangement could take effect.
Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, however, said senators had yet to agree on the proposal.
“Nope. We have not agreed yet,” Sotto told the Inquirer.
The uncertainty comes as the impeachment court grapples with the need to move the proceedings faster while the Senate resumes its regular legislative workload.
Senator-Judge and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri earlier proposed reversing the current timetable so that regular Senate sessions would be held in the morning, with the impeachment trial taking place from 3 p.m. onward.
The proposed shift could give the impeachment court longer proceedings and allow hearings to continue into the evening.
The trial originally began on July 6, when the Senate was on sine die adjournment and could devote much of its time to the impeachment proceedings. Hearings were then held from 2 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
The schedule changed after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address on July 27, which coincided with the opening of Congress’ Second Regular Session.
Since then, the impeachment court has conducted proceedings beginning at 10 a.m., with regular Senate plenary sessions following at 3 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Thursdays and Fridays have generally been allotted for committee work.
But the pace of the trial has become a growing concern.
The impeachment court has so far consumed 16 of the 92 days allotted for the proceedings, while two trial dates were cancelled this week because of monsoon rains.
The pressure to speed up the proceedings is expected to intensify with the start of the budget season on Aug. 27, when senators will have to devote more time to their legislative responsibilities.
Impeachment Court spokesperson Reginald Tongol said several options were being considered to prevent the trial from dragging on.
Aside from Zubiri’s proposed schedule swap, the options include holding hearings on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays or adding more trial dates within the 92 days if the prosecution and defense choose to present their remaining witnesses.
For now, however, the impeachment court has yet to act on any of the proposals.
With the Senate balancing the demands of the impeachment trial and its regular legislative agenda, the absence of a final schedule leaves the chamber facing a race against time to keep the proceedings moving without further disruption.
ia/xf
