Pimentel to public: Urge Senate to hold VP Duterte’s impeachment trial soon

Metro Manila, Philippines – The public should pressure senators to hold the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte early if impeachment is indeed a priority, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said on Saturday.

In an interview, Pimentel said Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero confirmed that the majority of the upper chamber supported the trial to start on July 30.

“If this impeachment is really a priority for the people, they should pressure the senators for us to hold the hearings early,” the lawmaker said.

The opposition leader said that the House of Representatives members who filed the impeachment complaint “did not get the pulse of their constituents” if the Senate is not pressured to immediately hold a trial.

“If the senators don’t feel any pressure or clamor to start the impeachment trial, nobody will really act,” he added.

Escudero earlier denied that there was “clamor” for the trial to begin soon as his office only received three letters and only one petition on the matter had been filed in the Supreme Court.

The senate president said the trial will begin when the 20th Congress opens in July, he specified in his letter that it may begin on July 30, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

He reiterated that when the last regular session of the 19th Congress resumes on June 2, the Articles of Impeachment passed by the House members on Feb. 5 can be presented, followed by the approval of the revised rules of procedure for impeachment trials.

In response to this timeline, Pimentel said only him and other minority member Senator Risa Hontiveros called on Escudero to immediately begin hearings and initiate an all-member caucus to discuss the impeachment process.

“I wrote down my opinion so that all senators would be able to read it. But I was not able to convince any of them even if what I was saying has a clear legal basis,” he said.

In a separate interview, Senator Nancy Biny said she supported the opposition’s proposal to meet during the congressional break so the impeachment process could be clarified.

“We’re used to having caucuses under the previous Senate presidents. So I think it would be better for us to meet even after the elections in May,” she said.

Out of all 23 incumbent senators, seven are already caught up in their reelection bids for the midterm polls.