As the mandatory 10 calendar days for Vice President Sara Duterte to submit her answers to the Impeachment Court’s summons, Duterte has until 1 June to answer it.
During the chamber’s regular session on Wednesday, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano informed the body that the summons related to the articles of impeachment filed against Duterte had been duly served at the respondent's address as of Wednesday.
He added that a copy of the summons had also been furnished to the prosecution panel.
“Under the applicable rules, the respondent is given 10 calendar days from the service of summons within which to file her answer. Counting 10 calendar days from 20 May 2026, the last day would ordinarily fall on Saturday, 30 May 2026,” Cayetano said.
“However, since the last day falls on a Saturday, the period shall not run until the next working day. Accordingly, the deadline for the respondent to file her answer is on Monday, June 1, 2026,” the senate president added.
Furthermore, Cayetano stated that upon the prosecution panel’s receipt of the respondent’s answer, “the prosecution shall have five calendar days from receipt within which to reply, if they opt to do so.”
Cayetano said he already relayed the matter to the body because they needed to discuss the impeachment calendar vis-à-vis the legislative calendar, committee hearings, and session schedules.
