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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Awkward' for Marcos to call for special session on VP Duterte's impeachment

'Awkward' for Marcos to call for special session on VP Duterte's impeachment

Published Feb 25, 2025 05:15 am

It will be "awkward" for President Marcos to call for a special session to tackle the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte sans a request from the Senate.

BBM Sara Duterte.jpg
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte (Mark Balmores)

"The way we see it, it would be an awkward position on the part of the President to voluntarily call for special session considering that there is this ongoing intrigues that the President is behind the impeachment proceedings," Malacañang Press Officer Claire Castro said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

"So, it is better for the Senate to request the President considering that even the President made this pronouncement that if the Senate will ask him to call for a special session, he will do so," she added.

Castro also pointed out that calling for a special session to proceed with the impeachment trial is not in the Constitution.

Proceeding with the trial immediately is not a basis for a special session even during recess, she explained.

"Marami pong mga iba-ibang klaseng opinyon (There are different opinions) but if you will look and read the provisions of the Constitution, you will see po to forthwith proceed, right? Pero wala pong makikitang (But there is no) time element. Is it to forthwith proceed even during recess? Because they can proceed definitely if there is session, there’s no question about that. But, to proceed during recess, grey area po iyan sa (that is a grey area in the) Constitution," Castro said.

"So, they may forthwith proceed after the recess. ‘Pag may session po walang problema e (There's no problem if there's a session), they have to do. But during the recess, wala pong sinasabi ang Konstitusyon na (The Constitution does not say) you have to call for a special session to proceed with the impeachment proceedings or with the impeachment trial," she added.

The Palace official also confirmed that there is no request coming from the Senate for a special session at present.

Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on Feb. 5. On the same day, the impeachment complaint reached the Senate which will stand as the impeachment court during the trial of Duterte. The senators will act as judges at the trial.

Related Tags

claire castro Impeachment VP Sara Duterte President Marcos
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