Escudero blames wording of Constitution over slow start of Sara Duterte impeachment

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'Kung ang intention 'nyo po ay 'yan talaga, sana sinulat 'nyo po 'yan sa Constitution. Pati ang paggamit ng salitang 'forthwith,' sana ginamit 'nyo na immediately,' says Senate President Francis Escudero

MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero was visibly miffed on Thursday, April 3, when asked to about the statement of constitutional framer Christian Monsod that it was “shallow” for the Senate leader to ask for more time to prepare to initiate the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Escudero said that if the 1987 Constitution wanted the process to start immediately, the framers should have written “immediately” and not “forthwith.” Article XI Section 3(4) says “trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed” after the House of Representatives transmits the verified articles of impeachment.

Forthwith, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, means “without any delay” — a point raised by those questioning Escudero’s insistence that the Senate trial cannot commence while Congress is on recess.

“Kung ang intention ‘nyo po ay ‘yan talaga, sana sinulat ‘nyo po ‘yan sa Constitution. Pati ang paggamit ng salitang ‘forthwith,’ sana ginamit ‘nyo na immediately. Hindi ‘nyo naman po nagawa at ginawa ‘yun, hindi po para sa amin na bigyang intepretasyon ang isang bagay ayon lang po sa pananaw ‘nyo ngayon,” Escudero said at a media forum Thursday morning.

(If that was really your intention, then you should have written that on the Constitution. Even the use of the word “forthwith,” then you should have used “immediately.” You did not do that, and it’s not for us to interpret something according to just your view now.)

Escudero explained “for the nth time, kailangan may session po, Chairman Monsod, ang Senado at Kongreso para kami makapag-hearing (we need to have a session, Chairman Monsod, at the Senate and at the House so we can start a hearing.)

The lower house impeached Duterte on February 5, 2025, which was quite a surprise move considering the time it took for them to finally sign the articles of impeachment. Congress went on recess February 7, and will only resume session on June 2. This has not stopped several committees from continuing hearings into several issues.

“Eh di siya na ‘yung deep (He can be the deep one),” Escudero said responding to Monsod’s “shallow” remark, before proceeding: “To answer seriously, sorry, wala akong sinabing kailangan namin ng panahon maghanda. Ang sinabi ko, gagamitin namin itong panahon para mas maghanda pa.”

(To answer seriously, sorry, I never said we need more time to prepare. What I said was we will use this time to prepare even more.)

Based on the timetable in Escuderio’s proposed schedule for the impeachment proceedings, the trial will only start on July 30, under the next Congress.