The trial at the Senate started on 6 July. Ninety-two trial dates in total have been scheduled, spread thrice weekly.
The proceedings are livestreamed by local media outlets, with tens of thousands of viewers tuning in to watch each one.
Under Philippine law, officials like the president, vice-president and chief justice of the Supreme Court can be impeached by the House of Representatives if they commit an impeachable offence – culpable violation of the constitution, treason, graft and corruption, bribery, high crimes and betrayal of public trust.
Once impeached, the case is transmitted to the Senate for trial, which would result in an acquittal or a conviction – in which case, the official will be removed from office and disqualified from running in elections.
The vote of sixteen of the 24 sitting senators is required to convict Duterte.
In their opening arguments, prosecutors said the case was about holding the powerful to account while the defence argued that the case was aimed squarely at removing the vice-president, even as she received 32 million votes – the highest of any incumbent national official – in the last election in 2022.
