Inside the Senate session hall on Monday, July 6, I sat among fewer than 10 journalists covering the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
We occupied a single row on the left side of the chamber, squeezed behind the staff of the senator-judges. We had a good view of the senators in the chamber. In the distance, we could see the House prosecutors.
Our view, however, was far from perfect. A concrete column blocked much of the defense table. When Duterte’s lawyers spoke, we often watched them not directly, but through the giant screens suspended inside the hall.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK. Rappler multimedia reporter takes notes on the third day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 8, 2026.
Reporters weren’t allowed to use their phones. We relied on our pens and notebooks or loose sheets of paper to document the trial. Whether my handwriting was legible — or whether I’d spelled everyone’s names correctly — was another question.
