MANILA – Senate President Francis Escudero has declared that the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte will commence following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July. During a press conference, Escudero confirmed that the impeachment court would begin its session on June 2, refuting claims that the Senate was stalling the process. He explained that the Senate cannot hold trials during their recess, as the impeachment court must be active during their regular sessions.
The Senate Secretariat received the impeachment documents from the House of Representatives, endorsed by over 200 members, on February 5, the final day of the congressional session before the May 12 midterm elections. Escudero indicated that the trial would likely start after the SONA, scheduled for July 21. He urged his fellow senators to review the impeachment articles, which were distributed to them the previous week. The 44-page complaint is also available on the Senate’s website.
Escudero dismissed the idea of a special session, stating that it is not within the Senate’s plans and that any such request would need to come from the President. He emphasized that the Senate would adhere strictly to legal protocols, not swayed by pro- or anti-Duterte sentiments. He referenced the 1987 Constitution, which outlines specific conditions under which Congress can convene special sessions, such as urgent legislation, the need to elect a new vice president, presidential incapacitation, election canvassing, or during martial law and suspension of habeas corpus.
Escudero also drew parallels with past impeachments, mentioning the case of former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, where the House submitted the complaint just three days before adjournment in 2011, and the trial was scheduled over a month later. Similarly, the impeachment of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona was filed a week before the Senate’s recess in 2011.