The former spokesperson of the Senate impeachment court under then Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said that the Supreme Court’s 14-0-1 decision on the term “forthwith” only proved that the critics were wrong, former Senate impeachment court spokesperson Atty. Regie Tongol said.

Senate impeachment court spokesman Atty. Regie Tongol (screenshot from Youtube/Senate of the Philippines)

Tongol issued the statement after the SC’s decision on Wednesday, April 29 dismissed a petition to legally compel the Senate to immediately try Vice President Sara Duterte as an impeachment court.

“We refused to sacrifice due process at the altar of public pressure. The Supreme Court's near-unanimous decision proves that under the leadership of then-Senate President Chiz Escudero, the Senate was right to choose constitutional prudence over the reckless haste demanded by so-called experts,” Tongol said in a statement issued on Wednesday evening.

“The recent 14-0-1 decision by the Supreme Court En Banc in Catalino Aldea Generillo, Jr. v. Senate of the Philippines (G.R. No. 278311) clarifies a fundamental procedural question that has long been at the heart of our impeachment processes. By defining the constitutional command to proceed ‘forthwith’ as action taken within a ‘reasonable time’—rather than an instantaneous, ‘breakneck’ demand—the Highest Court has definitively affirmed the position we maintained during my tenure as Spokesperson for the Senate Impeachment Court,” he further said.

It can be recalled that the first Articles of Impeachment against Duterte were transmitted to the Senate on Feb. 5, 2005, but then Escudero decided against proceeding with the trial while the Upper Chamber is in recess.

Several individuals, including legal experts and constitutionalists, criticized Escudero’s decision pointing out that the Constitutional command of “forthwith proceed” meant that the chamber has to “act right away, or immediately.”

But Tongol said that throughout the proceedings of the 2025 impeachment court, their office has constantly pushed for a balance between the constitutional mandate for speed and the practical necessity of due process.

“For months, we were subjected to the hasty lectures of so-called legal luminaries who conveniently turned a blind eye to established jurisprudence. We were told by ConCom framer Atty. Rene Sarmiento that ‘forthwith’ strictly means ‘right away, immediately—no hesitation.’ Former Associate Justice Antonio Carpio publicly accused the Senate of violating the Constitution for not starting proceedings immediately,” he pointed out.

“The hysteria reached such a fever pitch that critics even resorted to name-calling and made merchandise out of the word ‘forthwith’ to mock the Senate's deliberate pace,” he stressed.

“They were wrong, and the Supreme Court has proven them wrong,” he added.

The former spokesperson also maintained that the Senate, as a co-equal branch of government, has to be afforded the discretion to prepare for a fair and orderly trial.

He also said the decision of the Senate in 2025 acted on the long-standing jurisprudence that “forthwith” is “elastic and always modified by the circumstances of each case.”

“This ruling is not just a vindication for those of us who navigated these complex legal waters; it is a victory for constitutional stability. It protects the impeachment process from being weaponized through unrealistic timelines and reinforces the Senate's independence in fulfilling its role as a high court, proving that the institution cannot be bullied by public pressure or rushed by the misinterpretations of pundits,” Tongol said.

“I am gratified that the judiciary has provided this clarity. It validates that our measured, deliberate approach was legally sound all along, ensuring that future proceedings will be guided by reason, deliberation, and the unwavering pursuit of accountability without undue delay,” he reiterated.