MANILA — Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said the Senate has yet to make a final decision on whether to elect a different presiding officer for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

In an interview over dzBB Super Radyo, Gatchalian said the current Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials designate the Senate President as the presiding officer in impeachment proceedings, except when the President is the respondent.

“Under our rules, ang presiding officer ng impeachment other than the President is the Senate President,” Gatchalian said.

“Tayo ang tumatayong presiding officer ng impeachment pero doon din sa rules, kung ang tingin ng Senado ay dapat mag-appoint ng iba, puwede rin ’yun pag-usapan,” he added.

His remarks came after Senator Panfilo Lacson said members of the Senate majority bloc had initially agreed to elect Senator Francis Escudero as presiding officer of the impeachment court that will hear Duterte’s case.

Gatchalian, however, clarified that the matter has not yet been formally discussed by senators.

“Marami akong binabasa… Of course, itong mga Articles of Impeachment ay dapat pag-aralan nang mabuti lalo na ang mga ebidensya. Ngayon lang naman na-present ng defense at prosecution ang mga ebidensya at testigo, ’yun din ang tinitingnan namin,” he said.

Under existing impeachment rules, the Senate President serves as presiding officer during impeachment trials. However, Senate Resolution No. 430 proposes amendments that would allow the Senate to elect a senator to preside over impeachment proceedings through a majority vote of members present.

Duterte is facing impeachment charges that include allegations of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes.

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte in May, marking the second impeachment complaint filed against her within two years.

The Senate convened as an impeachment court on May 18. Duterte’s legal team submitted its answer to the Articles of Impeachment on June 1 and asked the court to dismiss the case.

Pre-trial proceedings for the impeachment trial formally began on June 18.