The Sara Duterte impeachment trial is in its fourth month, with no verdict yet.
Full-day hearings run until 15 October. The Senate then pauses the trial from 16 October to 8 November for the national budget.
For kababayans in Singapore, the case shapes the 2028 presidential race, the mood in family chats back home and, on bad days, the peso.
Vice President Duterte denies the charges and is presumed innocent until the Senate rules.
How it started
11 May 2026: The House voted 257 of 318 to impeach the Vice President. It is her second impeachment, after the 2025 effort.
Same day: Senators replaced Senate President Vicente Sotto III with Alan Peter Cayetano.
3 June: Twelve senators, the minority bloc plus Francis Escudero, declared all Senate posts vacant and removed Cayetano. Win Gatchalian took over as Senate President. The Cayetano bloc contested the move.
18 June: A pre-trial conference set evidence, witness lists and the order of presentation.
6 July: The trial opened. Senators elected Escudero as presiding officer, 12 votes to 8.
The four charges: misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery of government officials, and threats to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Conviction needs two-thirds of the Senate. Escudero ruled that means at least 16 of 24 senator-judges. Our explainer on the 16-vote ruling covers the fight over that number.
A conviction removes her from office and can bar her from any future post, including a 2028 run. Acquittal ends the case.
Where the trial stands
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On 1 October, Day 32, the prosecution was still presenting property and bank records. Anti-Money Laundering Council reports were moved to 5 October.
Budget debates on the Senate floor start 9 November. The court has no firm hearing date in that period, so the trial may not resume until around 18 November.
Hearings run from 10am to early evening, Manila time, which is the same clock as Singapore. The Senate streams sessions on its official channels.
Your padala and papers
Peso: The peso slipped a few centavos against the US dollar after the May vote. On a S$1,000 padala, that can mean about ₱200 to ₱500 more or less. Keep your usual send schedule, and read our guides on sending money with lower fees and the record SGD-PHP rate.
Services: In May, the embassy reported passport, NBI clearance and notarial services running as normal, with OWWA, DMW, SSS, Pag-IBIG and PhilHealth also open. Keep your appointments, and check the Philippine Embassy in Singapore before you go. Our guide to PH government services in Singapore lists who does what.
Policy: DMW deployment rules and OWWA benefits run at agency level. Neither verdict changes them overnight.
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Fake news
Chain messages on Viber, WhatsApp and Facebook spike on every trial day. Check a claim against Inquirer, Philippine Star, GMA News, ABS-CBN News, Rappler, Reuters, AP or the BBC before you forward it.
Anyone in the group chat announcing a verdict before the Senate votes is passing on a rumour.
Vote in 2028
Overseas voter registration for the 2028 Philippine elections runs from 1 December 2025 to 30 September 2027.
You can register at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore if you will be 18 or older by 8 May 2028.
