Ranking congressman hasn't lost hope with senators
Published Jun 1, 2026 09:32 am
At A Glance
- Rep. Jude Acidre expresses confidence that the Senate will fulfill its constitutional duty to hold Vice President Duterte's impeachment trial, noting the House had no choice but to initiate proceedings once complaints were filed.
- He warns that political noise and rhetoric from individual senators and ongoing disputes could distract the public and muddle the core issues of the case.
- Acidre stresses that both chambers are duty-bound under the Constitution, urging Filipinos to focus on the evidence presented rather than speculation or political maneuvering.
The Senate convened as an impeachment court last May 18 (Facebook)
For the record, Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre hasn't completely lost hope with the Senate when it comes to its constitutional mandate of holding Vice President Duterte's impeachment trial.
This, despite the intramurals with the upper chamber's leadership and the aggressive push to reopen the flood control projects mess probe through the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
"Ako ay naniniwala na, may tiwala pa naman ako na sa kaparehong paraan na ginampanan ng mga miyembro ng Kamara ang aming role sa prosesong ito, gagampanan din naman ng mga senador ang kanilang role under the Constitution to serve as an impeachment court," Acidre said over the weekend.
(I believe, I still trust that in the same way the members of the House carried out our role in this process, the senators will also fulfill their role under the Constitution to serve as an impeachment court.)
"I don't see any reason to doubt that at the moment,” said the chairman of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education.
Acidre noted that the House itself had no discretion once an impeachment complaint satisfied constitutional requirements. For this year, a total of four impeachment raps were filed against Vice President Duterte.
When an impeachment complaint prospers, it's the House members who function as the prosecutors against the respondent, while the senators take on the role of judges in the impeachment trial.
"In the same way that kami sa House, we had no choice but we were bound by the constitutional process to initiate the impeachment after may nagsampa ng complaint," Acidre said.
(In the same way that we in the House had no choice but were bound by the constitutional process to initiate the impeachment once a complaint was filed.)
"Ako naniniwala na gagawin at walang choice ang Senado kundi gawin at gampanan ang tungkulin nila. Klaro 'yon,” Acidre said.
(I believe the Senate will do it, and they have no choice but to carry out their duty. That’s clear.)
While expressing confidence in the process, Acidre says he is concerned that the growing political rhetoric surrounding the case could distract the public from the issues that matter most.
Acidre stressed that the impeachment trial cannot simply be sidetracked by political maneuvering because the Constitution imposes duties on both the House and the Senate.
"Technically, they cannot derail it eh. We're all duty-bound," he said.
The Tingog solon urged Filipinos to focus on the evidence that will be presented in court rather than the public sparring, speculation and political positioning that have increasingly dominated discussion of the case.
"Itong maingay na individual senators at kung ano pang nangyayari ngayon sa political scene natin, sana hindi ito maging rason to muddle the issue. Kasi hindi rin makakatulong sa mga kababayan natin, sa mga nanonood,” Acidre added.
(These noisy individual senators and whatever else is happening in our political scene now, I hope this does not become a reason to muddle the issue. Because it will not help our fellow citizens, those who are watching.)
Last May 11, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte for the second time in as many years. The Senate failed to carry out an actual trial against her in 2025.