Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial on August 18–19, 2026: Senate Hearing Suspended Because of Rain
The Senate impeachment court did not convene for Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on August 18 or August 19, 2026. The two scheduled hearing days were lost to severe weather, extending the pause that began after the previous session.
There was no witness testimony, cross-examination, presentation of evidence, or ruling on either date. The case remained pending before the Senate impeachment court.
August 18: hearing postponed because of severe weather
At the close of the August 17 hearing, the impeachment court postponed the session scheduled for Tuesday, August 18. The official Senate eClips account cited forecasts of heavy rain and flooding linked to the southwest monsoon, or habagat.
The postponement came after Day 16 testimony from former Office of the Vice President special disbursing officer Gina Acosta. Her testimony centered on the alleged release of ₱500 million in OVP confidential funds to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica. The next sitting was expected to continue the court’s examination of the testimony and related records.
The weather decision was procedural. It did not dismiss the impeachment case, resolve any allegation, or indicate how the senator-judges would vote.
August 19: suspension continued
The trial did not resume the following day. The Senate impeachment court again suspended the proceedings on Wednesday, August 19, because of the continuing rain and unfavorable weather conditions.
As a result, August 19 also produced no courtroom testimony or new evidentiary ruling. The prosecution did not call a witness, the defense did not conduct cross-examination, and the senator-judges did not decide the merits of the charges.
Why there was no virtual hearing
The impeachment court did not simply move the proceedings online. Senate Clerk Renato Tongol said virtual hearings were not provided for under the trial rules, according to reports published after the suspension.
That meant the court had limited options once severe weather disrupted in-person proceedings. The schedule had to be adjusted until the Senate could meet again under its existing rules.
What the two-day pause meant for the case
The August 18–19 suspension was not a verdict. Sara Duterte was not convicted, acquitted, cleared, or removed from office during those two days. The allegations and the questions raised by the confidential-fund testimony remained unresolved.
The next actual trial session was set for August 24, when the Senate resumed Day 17 of the proceedings.
The clearest summary is simple: August 18 and 19 were scheduling interruptions caused by bad weather, not substantive trial days.
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