Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on Thursday, June 12 that the House of Representatives has yet to confirm that it has accepted the copy of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte which the Senate, as an impeachment court, has returned to their chamber.

This, after the House of Representatives on Wednesday night (June 11), certified that Duterte’s impeachment complied with the 1987 Constitution and deferred the acceptance of the Articles of Impeachment until the Senate impeachment court has responded to its questions regarding the return of the documents.

Escudero reiterated that all communications regarding the impeachment trial should be done through pleadings and not through social media.

“Ulitin ko, impeachment court ang magpapasya nyan, pero dalawa ang kautusan ng impeachment court (I repeat, the impeachment court will decide that, but the impeachment court has two orders),” Escudero said in an ambush interview in Malolos, Bulacan.

“Hindi lamang yung attestation ng pagtupad doon sa certification sa pagtupad sa one-year ban na provision ng konstitusyon, pero pati yung attestation na interesado pa rin sila sa pagbubukas ng bagong Kongreso na ipurusigi ang kaso dahil nga dun pa lamang magsisimula ang paglilitis (Not only the attestation of compliance with the certification of compliance with the one-year ban provision of the Constitution, but also the attestation that they are still interested with the opening of a new Congress to prosecute the case because that is when the trial will begin),” Escudero pointed out.

“Yun ang pasya ng (that’s the decision of the) impeachment court. Bilang mga taga-usig, dapat nilang galangin at sundin yun. Kapareho din sa parte ni VP Sara, dapat galangin at sundin din yung summons na in-issue ng (As prosecutors, they should respect and follow that. The same on the part of Vice President Sara, she should respect and follow the summons that were issued by the) impeachment court,” he pointed out.

Eighteen (18) senators on Tuesday, June 10, voted to remand the Articles of Impeachment back to the House “without dismissing nor terminating the case” after the Senate formally convened into an impeachment court.

Aside from the order asking the House to certify that the impeachment complaint did not violate the constitutional one-year ban rule.

But vis-à-vis the remanding of the Articles of Impeachment, the Senate impeachment court also issued a writ of summons to Duterte ordering her to answer the complaint against her.

She was given a non-extendible period of 10 days to answer the complaint, in accordance with Article 7 of the impeachment rules.

Escudero also refused to comment over House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s remark that what the senator-judges did was deeply concerning.

The Senate leader also said that only the impeachment court can say what could be the possible effects of the House’s move on the Articles of Impeachment.

It is also only the Supreme Court who can decide whether returning Duterte’s case back to the House was unconstitutional or not, according to Escudero.