Metro Manila, Philippines – Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero criticized calls for the chamber to immediately convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the Senate will adhere to its rules and will not make any special considerations for this case.
“Sino ba yung nagmamadali kasi (Who is in such a rush, anyway)?” Escudero asked in a DWIZ radio interview on Saturday, Feb. 8.
He explained that while the Constitution states the Senate “shall forthwith proceed” with a trial upon receipt of the Articles of Impeachment from the House of Representatives, it does not specify an immediate timeline.
He pointed out that previous impeachment cases, including those of former President Joseph Estrada and former Chief Justice Renato Corona, took a month or more before the trial began.
“So bahagi na ‘yan sa tradisyon at practice ng Senado kaugnay ng impeachment trial na bahagi din ang aming rules sa ngayon,” Escudero said.
[Translation: So that has become part of the tradition and practice of the Senate in relation to impeachment trials, and it is also reflected in our current rules.]
“Espesyal ba si VP Sara para tratuhin naming espesyal ito? Tulad ng ibang impeachable officers lamang siya sa mata namin. At walang dahilan para dahil sa kanya ay madaliin ito o dahil sa kanya ay ipagpaliban ito,” Escudero said.
[Translation: Is Vice President Sara so special that we should treat her case differently? To us, she is just like any other impeachable officer. There is no reason to rush this process because of her, nor to delay it because of her.]
Several House lawmakers have called on the Senate to immediately convene as an impeachment court after successfully impeaching Duterte by a vote of more than 200 lawmakers on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The Senate, having received the Articles of Impeachment shortly before 5:00 pm that day, adjourned its session for a three-month break without taking any action on the plenary floor.
Escudero explained that the Senate secretariat needed to examine the documents transmitted by the House, verify the signatures, and draft the rules for plenary approval before the trial could begin.
He also emphasized that impeachment is not a valid reason to call for a special session during the congressional break, contrary to the view of fellow veteran lawmaker Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. Pimentel had argued that a special session could address both pending priority bills and the impeachment.
Escudero reiterated that he does not seek to appease either Duterte’s supporters or critics, but simply wants to uphold the law, the Constitution, and the Senate’s rules to ensure credible and impartial proceedings.
‘We won’t be intimidated’
Meanwhile, Escudero declined to comment on most of Duterte’s remarks during her press conference on Friday, urging fellow lawmakers to do the same to maintain their impartiality as impeachment judges once the trial begins.
However, he did respond to Duterte’s statement that she would prefer not to appear in the trial to avoid intimidating the senators.
“Ganun? Di naman siguro. Tinitiyak ko sa kanya, hindi kami ma-i-intimidate. Pero karapatan niyang huwag mag-attend sa arraignment dahil nga, sang-ayon sa aming rules, ang arraignment ay pwede gawin in person or through counsel,” Escudero said.
[Translation: Really? I don’t think so. I assure her, we will not be intimidated. But it is her right not to attend the arraignment, since, according to our rules, the arraignment can be done in person or through counsel.]
