(Second from left) Former Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Teddy Casiño (Dexter Barro II/MANILA BULLETIN)

The endorsers and complainants of the three impeachment raps filed against Vice President Sara Duterte said they are open to campaign for senatorial candidates who will vote to convict the country’s second highest official in an impeachment trial.

Former Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Teddy Casiño bared that this was agreed upon during the group’s closed-door meeting at the House of Representatives on Wednesday morning, Jan. 8.

“Magiging usapin ang impeachment sa elections. And we will have to shift the campaign para ipanalo ‘yung mga senador na pro-impeachment,” said Casiño in a press conference after the hearing. 

He is a senatorial candidate himself.

(Impeachment will be an issue in the elections. And we will have to shift the campaign to win the pro-impeachment senators.)

As indicated in the Constitution, the Senate convenes as an impeachment court following the House of Representatives’ transmittal of the articles of impeachment.

While it is uncertain whether the House would even reach the point of committee discussions on the impeachment cases against Vice President Duterte, time is of the essence for the endorsers and complainants of such raps.

After all, Congress is set to adjourn on Feb. 7 amid the campaign period for the 2025 mid-term elections.

Casiño, expressing confidence, said if ever the lower chamber moves to impeach Duterte, the succeeding impeachment court would likely extend into the 20th Congress or under a new set of lawmakers.

“Sa napag-usapan namin kanina, talagang open ang possibility that the impeachment trial will be stretched, aabot pa ito sa next Congress,” the former congressman shared.

(As we discussed earlier, it is a possibility that the impeachment trial will be stretched, it will even reach the next Congress.)

“This is the perfect timing because this will be a key issue na magiging usapin sa eleksyon at manghihikayat tayo ng mamamayan na iboto ang mga senador na mag-iimpeach kay Sara Duterte (that will be an election issue and we will encourage the people to vote for the senators who will impeach Sara Duterte),” he added.

Casiño says this is the “probable outcome” if the House acts on the impeachment before it goes on recess.

With this, he said Duterte’s impeachment would be in the “front seat” and become a key issue that senatorial candidates shall answer during the campaign period.

“Kailangang sumagot ang mga senatorial candidate (Senatorial candidates must answer), will they vote for the impeachment or against the impeachment?” stressed Casiño.

“Syempre, ang mga complainants at lahat ng sumusuporta sa impeachment ay maghihikayat sa botante na suportahan ang mga senador who will vote for the impeachment,” he emphasized.

(Of course, the complainants and all those who support the impeachment will encourage the voters to support the senators who will vote for the impeachment.)

Wednesday’s closed-door meeting was attended by various civil society, religious, and youth leaders who were among the complainants of the three impeachment cases filed against the Vice President.

The meeting was led by ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, who was an endorser in the second impeachment rap filed last Dec. 4.