Senate Deputy Minority Leader Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday, July 31, 2025 maintained her stance it would be premature for the Senate to vote for the dismissal of the proceedings of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Hontiveros said she will personally block any motion to dismiss the impeachment trial of the vice president should a senator raise such motion on August 6.

“If that happens, we will really debate on that issue. And I am ready, we are ready in the minority bloc to state our arguments, our every opinion. And if we come to a vote, we will explain each of our vote,” Hontiveros said during a Kapihan sa Senado forum.

“Personally, it is still premature to file or vote on the motion to dismiss. Because how can we dismiss if we have not heard a single piece of evidence or a warm body witness, we senator-judges have not heard it yet,” she pointed out.

Hontiveros also confirmed that a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate on the ruling of the Supreme Court is still being drafted.

“There is a draft resolution, not a joint resolution, but a resolution that several senators are working on, including me. Yes,” she told reporters.

Sought to comment, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said he hasn’t seen the draft resolution but will just wait for it to be formally filed.

“Haven't seen it but, whatever it is, will just await its filing, if at all, for the body’s consideration,” Escudero said.

“But with or without any such resolution, we already agreed in caucus to fix a date certain (Aug 6) to debate and act on this issue of impeachment in light of the recent SC decision,” the Senate leader added.

Escudero reiterated that the Senate will decide everything “as a collegial body.”

“Someone will make a motion and if someone objects, we put it to a vote. So we’ll put this to a debate and vote on August 6 on what to do with the impeachment in light of the Supreme Court decision,” the Senate chief said.

He said this will give his colleagues, who will seat as senator-judges in the Impeachment Court, enough time to go through the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court comprised of 97 pages plus concurring opinions of the magistrates.

And as a lawyer, Escudero said the Senate must make a decision as soon as possible because the Supreme Court’s ruling was immediately executory.

Assuming that the House of Representatives will file a motion for reconsideration before the Supreme Court, the Senate leader said there is no way of knowing when a ruling will come out.

He also added the fact that since the ruling of the Supreme Court en banc was unanimous and based on experience, the possibility of reversing the original decision is unlikely.

“We cannot decide based on the mere whim of partisan people who have already taken a position either for or against. I said this at the beginning of the impeachment when it was filed last February 5, I will not listen to any sides, whether they are in favor of VP Sara and they do not want the impeachment or they are against VP Sara and is in favor of the impeachment,” he said.

“I will not be cowed nor bullied by these people into acting one way or the other. We will do what we think is right,” Escudero stressed.