Senators expressed differing views on Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero’s decision to postpone the presentation of the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte from June 2 to June 11, 2025.
Revised impeachment schedule draws mixed views among senators
By Dhel Nazario
Published May 30, 2025 01:22 pm
Vice President Sara Duterte (Manila Bulletin File Photo)
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada expressed support for Escudero’s decision to prioritize the passage of priority bills ahead of the sine die adjournment, even as he emphasized that impeachment remains a constitutional obligation of the Senate.
"While among the functions and the responsibilities of the Senate is to act as an impeachment court, the primary mandate is to legislate... and the passage of the priority bills should take precedence,” Estrada said, echoing Escudero's rationale for the delay. He also cited that the timing aligns with agreements made during the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting.
Estrada downplayed the criticisms regarding the postponement, emphasizing that the Senate remains constitutionally obligated to hear the impeachment case, stating that “as long as we are really bound to hear the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte, it is our constitutional duty to hear it.”
Estrada also addressed speculation that the delay might be related to alleged internal Senate leadership tensions.
“As far as I know, walang ganun na mangyayari. Walang kudeta (nothing like that will happen. There’s no coup),” he said, denying rumors of a coup against Escudero.
On the issue of whether the impeachment trial can proceed smoothly into the next Congress, Estrada pointed to the matter already being before the Supreme Court.
When asked if legislative work and the impeachment trial could run concurrently, Estrada replied affirmatively, recalling the 2012 impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona. Estrada said he is already preparing for what could be his second impeachment trial as a senator, noting that he will consult with his legal team to fully review and understand the articles of impeachment.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III stressed that the impeachment trial should have been prioritized, pointing out that the Senate had already adopted a calendar earlier this year.
"Ang position ko nga February pa, pwede na start i-convene ang impeachment court (My position is that as early as February, the impeachment court could have already been convened,” he said.
“Nasunod na nga ang impeachment calendar ni SP [Senate President]—nilagay niya June 2—tapos hindi rin pala masusunod. Masyado nang… sa tingin ko, di na in the spirit of ‘forthwith’ (The impeachment calendar set by the Senate President was already followed—he scheduled it for June 2—but now it turns out that won’t be followed either. I think this is no longer in the spirit of ‘forthwith'),” he added.
Pimentel revealed that he had briefly brought up the matter with Escudero during the morning of the LEDAC (Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council) meeting.
The senator said he plans to formally raise the matter in plenary, primarily to clarify the reasons behind the postponement. He also called for a review of Senate rules, noting that there is a provision stating that if both legislative matters and impeachment proceedings coincide, the legislative agenda must give way.
“Ang (The) spirit ng (of) impeachment: you give it priority,” Pimentel emphasized.
“Kasi nga sabi ng Constitution, tapusin niyo agad ’yan, mag-trial na kayo para matapos na (Because the Constitution says, finish it promptly, start the trial so it can be completed),” he added.
He argued that the decision to reschedule may run counter to both the spirit of the Senate’s rules and the Constitution, reiterating that impeachment trials should not be treated as optional or subordinate to the regular business of the Senate.
Senator Imee Marcos, on the other hand, backed the Senate leadership’s decision, arguing that national interest should come first.
“Dapat naman talaga unahin ang mga priority measures na ito dahil ito ang makakatulong sa bayan at hindi yung impeachment na pamumulitika lang (These priority measures should really be prioritized because they will help the country, unlike the impeachment which is just politicking),” Marcos said.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who has three pending bills in the Committee on Ways and Means—the Anti-POGO Bill, Denatured Alcohol Bill, and Increasing the Tax on Vape Bill, also backed the Senate leadership's move.
“Yes, I was at the LEDAC meeting because I have three pending bills in the Committee on Ways and Means that we want to get approved before the end of the 19th Congress: Anti-POGO Bill, Denatured Alcohol Bill and Increasing the Tax on Vape Bill,” he said.
He noted that the LEDAC body agreed to approve a total of 12 priority bills within the 19th Congress, and the Senate must focus on these in the remaining six session days.
“Some of the committees will have to conduct BiCams, consultative meetings and even hearings to finalize the 12 bills,” he added.
“Having said that, I do agree to devote the next two weeks to finish the remaining bills and other legislative priorities before converting itself into an impeachment court,” Gatchalian said.