Consensus on afternoon impeach trial reached

SENATOR-JUDGES have reached a consensus to move the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to the afternoon to speed up the proceedings and helping the Senate meet its target of completing the proceedings by December, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said on Friday.Gatchalian said the agreement among the senator-judges would be formalized within the week. The shift had been proposed as the Senate seeks to balance its functions as an impeachment court and legislative chamber.The Senate is considering holding regular plenary sessions in the morning and convening as an impeachment court in the afternoon to give the trial longer and more predictable hearing hours.Gatchalian said the adjustment is necessary because the trial has been moving at a pace that could push its completion beyond the Senate's original target.The Senate is aiming to finish the trial by December, but Gatchalian acknowledged that the proceedings could spill over into next year at…