2 weeks ago
11
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
MANILA, Philippines — Breaking his silence on the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senator-elect Bam Aquino said the next Congress must fulfill its mandate to hear the case.
In a statement on Tuesday, June 10, Aquino stressed that it is the Senate’s responsibility as an institution to try impeachment cases and deliver a verdict based on the evidence presented.
“Mahalagang masunod ang mga alituntunin ng ating Saligang Batas pagdating sa impeachment. Tungkulin ng Senado bilang institusyon na litisin ang kaso at maglabas ng hatol,” he said.
(It is important to uphold the provisions of our Constitution when it comes to impeachment. It is the Senate’s duty as an institution to try the case and render judgment.)
Aquino added that the Senate’s adherence to its constitutional mandate in impeachment proceedings would demonstrate that the process upholds the rule of law above all else.
“Ipapakita ng prosesong ito na nakahihigit pa rin ang ating mga batas (This process will demonstrate that the law takes precedence),” he said.
The senator-elect, who made a surprising second-place finish in the Senate race, also extended “parliamentary courtesy” to the incumbent 19th Congress, which only has a few session days remaining.
What is parliamentary courtesy? This practice, observed in legislative bodies and across government branches, involves lawmakers refraining from questioning or intervening in each other’s jurisdiction as a gesture of institutional respect.
However, Aquino said it is clear that the 20th Congress, of which he is a part, must “fulfill its rightful duty.”
“Binibigyan natin ng karampatang parliamentary courtesy ang 19th Congress sa mga huli nitong araw, pero malinaw na ang 20th Congress ang kinakailangang gumawa ng nararapat nitong tungkulin,” he said.
(We are extending due parliamentary courtesy to the 19th Congress in its final days, but it is clear that it is the 20th Congress that must carry out its rightful duty.)
Steered clear. During the 2025 midterm elections, Aquino distanced himself from giving a more clear-cut stance on the impeachment, often saying he would let the evidence and rule of law guide him if elected.
He stood by his belief that senator-judges have a constitutional obligation to remain impartial, deliberately refraining from making any early judgment on the case.
Drawing on his time with the Senate Electoral Tribunal, Aquino said he would approach the impeachment trial with the same commitment to fairness and impartiality.
“Sa ating pagpapasya, mauuna ang rule of law at kapakanan ng taumbayan,” Aquino said. (In reaching our decision, we will prioritize the rule of law and the public interest.)
All eyes on the Senate
The Senate has been under pressure to convene as an impeachment court and begin proceedings against Duterte, who faces multiple grave corruption-related charges.
The reading of the articles of impeachment was postponed to June 11, which also marks the final plenary session of the 19th Congress.
A resolution has been filed seeking to terminate the impeachment process, while some senators have suggested putting the convening of the impeachment court to a vote.
These developments have fueled public doubt over whether the trial will proceed at all, amid arguments that the process cannot carry over to the next Congress — unless the 20th Congress chooses to take it up anew.
To surely convene
Senate President Chiz Escudero, however, told reporters on Tuesday that the Senate will convene as an impeachment court on June 11, as agreed in plenary following lengthy debates on June 9.
Escudero has already taken his oath as presiding officer, while senators will be sworn in as senator-judges on June 10. The official convening of the court is set for June 11, he said.
What remains uncertain, however, is whether the Senate will continue the impeachment process and trial in the 20th Congress. Several legal experts, however, have expressed their belief in the Senate as a continuing body. In other words, it should.
At least for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, a former senator-judge, it is “clear” that the process should cross over into the next Congress.
