President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is bound to lose credibility if he continues to defer calling for a special session that would enable the Senate to tackle the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Former Senate president Franklin Drilon pointed this out saying it is the President’s constitutional obligation to call for a special session and not by any lawmaker or by a sitting Senate president, which Marcos earlier mentioned.

“Sa akin (to me), he becomes less credible sa sinasabi niyang iyan (when he said that). Kasi hindi naman mangyayari ang impeachment kung ang political leader ay hindi papayag, at walang masama doon (Because an impeachment would not happen if the political leader will not agree to it, and there’s nothing wrong with that),” Drilon said in a Radio DZBB interview on Sunday, February 9.

“Hindi po kailangang hilingin ng sinumang senador o pangulo ng senado na mag-convene ang Pangulo ng special session ng Kongreso (No senator or Senate president shall ask the President to convene Congress for a special session),” Drilon said

“Ulitin ko lang, yun ay special session para mag convene ang Kongreso, hindi para mag-convene ang impeachment court (I say it again, that special session is so for Congress to convene, not to convene the impeachment court),” the former Senate chief stressed.

Once Congress convenes during a special session, the Senate can now start with the impeachment trial by referring the complaint to the impeachment court.

Being a political leader, Drilon said there is nothing wrong if the President himself takes it upon himself to start the impeachment proceedings.

“The President is a political leader of the country. Siya po ang Pangulo ng ating bansa, siya po ang may kapangyarihan na tumawag ng special session at hindi po kailangan ng excuses (He is the President of the country, he alone has the power to call for a special session and there’s no need for excuses),” he insisted.

“Valid ang (pagtawag ng) special session kung ipatawag ng Pangulo, kahit wala pong sasabihin ang senador or kongresista (A special session is valid if the President wants it, even if no senador or congressman requests for it),” Drilon stressed.

Earlier, in a radio interview, Escudero said he will not request for a special session to tackle the vice president’s impeachment case despite the President’s pronouncement he will call for one if requested by the Senate president himself.

“Manggagaling ba sa akin ang kagustuhang yan? Hindi, dahil uulitin ko ayokong tratuhing espesyal yan dahil ayoko naman mapulaan sa kabilang banda na masyado naman minamadali itong bagay na ito pag kinumpara sa ibang impeachment complaint (Will that request come from me? No. Because, as I’ve said, I don’t want to treat this as a special case, because I don’t want to be criticized that we are rushing this issue compared to the other impeachment complaints),” Escudero said in an interview over Radio DZBB.

But Drilon said that should President Marcos decides and calls for a special session, the Senate has no choice but to do its constitutional mandate of proceeding with the impeachment trial even in the middle of an election campaign.

“Hindi kasi sinasabi sa Saligang Batas na kapag may kampanya hindi kayo pwede magkaron ng impeachment trial. Iyan ang kanilang tungkulin dapat gampanan kahit may halalan (The Constitution does not prohibit the conduct of an impeachment trial during a campaign. That is a mandate that should be carried out even if there is an election),” the veteran lawmaker stressed.

Though it is beyond the control of the Senate, Drilon said he believes there is sufficient time for the impeachment trial to proceed and finish before the end of the 19^th Congress.

“Kayang tapusin yan ng limang buwan at lumabas ang desisyon bago (They can finish the trial in five months and release the decision before) June 30, 2025,” he said.

If the trial goes beyond the date, Drilon said senators should expect more questions to arise with some of individuals going to the Supreme Court to question the validity of having the new members of the Senate’s incoming 20^th Congress to sit as senator-judges.

“That’s why the best way to avoid any constitutional issue is to decide the case, bago matapos ang termino nitong kasalukuyang Kongreso (before the term of this present Congress ends). And that is June 30, 2025,” Drilon stressed.