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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
June 4, 2025 | 5:05pm
Composite photo shows Senate President Chiz Escudero (left) and House Speaker Martin Romualdez (right).
Senate PH; House of Reps via FB
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis Escudero has come under fire for delaying the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, but he insisted it was not the Senate’s job to follow the House of Representatives’ wishes on the proceedings.
Escudero moved the trial from June 2 to June 11, leaving the Senate with very little time to proceed before it adjourns on June 13.
Questions have also been raised over whether the trial could carry over from the 19th to the 20th Congress, further fueling doubts about the Senate’s willingness to pursue the impeachment case.
Lawmakers from the House have criticized the Senate for delaying the trial, but Escudero remained unfazed.
"These congressmen have gotten used to dictating the Senate about what they want to happen with this impeachment," he said in Filipino.
"If the job of these lawmakers is to be followers of Speaker [Martin] Romualdez, who wants this impeachment to be cleared, this is not the job of the Senate," Escudero said.
He added that, as Senate President, the Senate would carry out the impeachment trial according to what it believes is right and aligned with the law.
Criticisms within the chamber
However, Escudero’s critics extend beyond the House.
Senator-elect Tito Sotto, rumored to be a possible replacement for Escudero as Senate President, criticized the slow progress of the impeachment complaint in the chamber.
“I just learned that the impeachment transmitted by the [House of Representatives] last February has never been referred to the Senate Rules Committee! Ay grabe!” Sotto posted on X.
Even sitting senators have questioned the decision to defer the trial. Minority Leader Koko Pimentel and Sen. Risa Hontiveros expressed concern over the delay.
“Convening as an impeachment court and commencing trial is expressly mandated by the Constitution. And yet this process has been delayed and dragged on for four long months,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
The Senate received the impeachment articles from the House in February, just before Congress went on break.
House lawmaker reacts
A House lawmaker was unhappy with Escudero’s remarks. Rep. Rolando Valeriano (Manila, 2nd District) said that he represented his own legislative area, not anyone else.
When he voted to impeach Duterte in February, he voted on behalf of Manila’s District 2.
Valeriano said that he did not act on behalf of Romualdez, adding that they rarely even met.
“We never speak personally,” Valeriano told the media. — With reports from Dominique Nicole Flores
