The Senate impeachment court will issue a new subpoena directing former Department of Education (DepEd) Special Disbursing Officer Edward Fajarda to appear and testify in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on September 7, 2026, after Senate doctors confirmed that he suffered a stroke.
Presiding Officer Sen. Chiz Escudero said Tuesday that the Senate Medical and Dental Bureau submitted a report confirming Fajarda’s medical condition and recommending two weeks of bed rest.
According to the report, Fajarda’s required rest period began on August 20 and will end on September 3.
Escudero subsequently instructed the clerk of court to issue a new subpoena compelling Fajarda to attend the proceedings on September 7 at 10 a.m.
The former DepEd SDO was originally scheduled to testify during the current week of hearings but requested to be excused after being hospitalized following a stroke affecting the lower back portion of his brain.
On Monday, the impeachment court received a letter and medical certificate from Fajarda’s legal counsel requesting that he be excused from the August 24 to 26 hearings.
Before granting the request, Escudero ordered the Senate Medical and Dental Bureau to examine Fajarda, validate his medical findings with his attending physicians, and determine whether he was medically unable to testify.
Following the medical evaluation, Senate doctors confirmed his condition and recommended the two-week recovery period.
Fajarda is expected to testify on Article I of Duterte’s impeachment case, which centers on allegations involving the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds—₱500 million from the Office of the Vice President and ₱112.5 million from the DepEd.
His testimony is expected to provide the impeachment court with information concerning the handling and disbursement of confidential funds within the DepEd.
The new subpoena means Fajarda will remain part of the prosecution’s list of witnesses despite his recent hospitalization, with his appearance moved to September 7 following his prescribed period of rest.
