MANILA, Philippines — Moving deeper into the complex grid of administrative preparations before her open-court trial, the legal machinery handling the historic case against the Vice President requires more floor time. The Senate Impeachment Court has officially scheduled the closed-door pre-trial conference to resume on Monday, June 22, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.
The extension was called after a grueling, day-long initial session revealed that the sheer volume of documentary evidence submitted by both camps could not be physically processed within a single day.
Serving as the primary update coordinator on the sidelines of the closed-door conference, Atty. Michael Poa—spokesperson for the Vice President’s defense team—explained that the pause and subsequent Monday reset are completely normal given the legal scale of the case.
The primary procedural bottleneck stems directly from the strict physical checking and authentication of files across a multi-count indictment:
[ THE JUNE 18 EVIDENCE MARKING PROFILE ]
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┌─────────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[ THE COMPLETED MARKING ZONE ] [ THE VOLUME CHALLENGE ]
• **Article III Wrapped Up:** The panels successfully concluded • **Three Remaining Counts:** Legal teams have yet to scratch
the official marking and validation of evidence for **only one** • the surface on the massive stacks of documents detailing the
of the four total articles of impeachment. • other three constitutional charges.
• **The Corruption Focus:** Article III houses the complex, data- • **The Verification Drag:** *“The marking process is not really
heavy complaints tracking alleged bribery, graft, corruption, • that fast,”* Poa noted. *“Of course, we have to compare
and systemic betrayal of public trust. • documents, so it's only natural and normal.”
While defense lawyers maintained it is in their absolute best interest to conclude the preliminary conference as rapidly as possible, they stressed they will not cut corners on reviewing the prosecution’s sub-files. If the combined teams fail to finish the cross-verification loop on Monday, the court has already cleared its docket to extend the sessions into Tuesday, June 23.
Addressing a wave of viral social media rumors hinting at fierce shouting matches and severe emotional friction behind the closed doors of the Senator C.M. Recto Room, both camps moved quickly to present a unified front of professional civility:
[ THE STRUCTURAL TRIAL CALIBRATION ] │ ▼[ Normal Friction ] ──► *“It is normal for both sides to have arguments. However, we cannot say that there is already real tension,”* Poa downplayed, clarifying that debates are strictly limited to legal boundaries. │ ▼[ Written Shortcuts ]──► To aggressively speed up proceedings on Monday, House prosecutors and defense panels agreed to completely bypass oral debates regarding the **stipulation of facts**, choosing instead to submit their final comments in writing directly to the clerk of court. │ ▼[ Fixed Witness Pools ]──► Both panels officially locked in their witness bounds without any major mutual objections. The prosecution retains a pool of **over 30 witnesses**, while the defense is fielding **25 to 30 witnesses** (including reserves).
Reinforcing the defense’s statement, House prosecution team spokespersons Rep. Renee Co (Kabataan Party-list) and Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (Lanao del Sur) labeled the first day an absolute procedural success. They emphasized that the initial sorting process is delivering exactly what it was designed to do: iron out administrative disagreements before the real courtroom drama begins.
The defense team also strongly pushed back against early assertions from certain lawmakers suggesting they appeared unorganized or caught off guard by the prosecution’s massive opening briefs. Poa stated the defense has been preparing its counter-arguments for “the longest time” and that their readiness is clearly reflected in the official court record.
Despite the pre-trial conference requiring additional calendar days to clear its backlog, both the House prosecutors and the Vice President’s counsel confidently reassured the public that the overarching timeline remains completely unaffected. The long-awaited formal opening of the impeachment trial proper stays firmly on track for Monday, July 6, 2026, under the administration of the Senate Impeachment Court.