1 month ago
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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
February 8, 2025 | 9:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has been historically impeached by the House of Representatives and now it is up to the Senate to either acquit or convict her.
However, with the 19th Congress nearing its end, many are wondering how the upcoming elections might influence the outcome.
Senate President Francis Escudero has stated that pre-trial work will be completed in the remaining days of the 19th Congress in June, with some extension into the 20th Congress.
“Yung trial mismo talaga magsisimula ng 20th Congress,” Escudero said. (The trial itself will begin in the 20th Congress.)
It is up to Escudero to lead efforts in drafting the new rules for the Senate’s impeachment trial of Duterte, which can be done during the recess, as he is one of the senators not up for election.
These rules have not been updated since the impeachment of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Once the rules are drafted, they must be approved in a plenary session when the 19th Congress resumes. Depending on how the rules are set, the remaining 12 senators may continue with the pre-trial work to save time.
“Yung labindalawang maiiwan kasi ginagawa narin ng Korte yan ngayon, pwedeng tumanggap ng ebidensiya yung maiiwang labindalawa. Trial na rin 'yun in a way,” Escudero said.
(The remaining 12 that are left, because this is what the Court is doing right now, the remaining 12 can accept evidence. This is a trial, in a way.)
This means that regardless of who leaves or stays in the Senate, the impeachment trial is set to begin within the year.
Who are the key players in the impeachment trial?
The remaining senators will stay in power and may handle the pre-trial work. This includes Escudero himself, as well as Sens. Robin Padilla, Loren Legarda, Raffy Tulfo, Sherwin Gatchalian, Mark Villar, Alan Cayetano, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Joel Villanueva, JV Ejercito, Risa Hontiveros and Jinggoy Estrada.
Among the seated senators, Legarda, Villar, Zubiri, Estrada, and Gatchalian all ran under the Uniteam slate of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Meanwhile, the following senators are on their way out: Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Bong Go, Pia Cayetano, Ronald dela Rosa, Sonny Angara, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, Francis Tolentino, Aquilino Pimentel III, Ramon Revilla and Nancy Binay.
Go, Cayetano, Dela Rosa, Lapid, Marcos, Tolentino and Revilla are all seeking reelection. Angara vacated his senatorial post after being appointed by President Marcos as the new education secretary.
Forecasts
It is still too early to determine how the sitting senators will handle the pre-trial, and lawmakers are expected to refrain from commenting on the matter if they are set to act as judges. Escudero himself has said that he would admonish senators who show any partisanship during the impeachment trial.
However, some senators—both those who will remain seated in the 20th Congress and those up for reelection—have already signaled how they might approach the issue.
For instance, Duterte ally Padilla has already vowed to vote "no" during the impeachment trial. Meanwhile, former president Rodrigo Duterte’s police chief-turned-lawmaker Dela Rosa, who has close ties with the Dutertes, said that he will remain impartial during the trial if elected.
Some lawmakers from the lower House, who are vying for Senate seats, have also said that they did not sign the impeachment rap against Duterte, including ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Erwin Tulfo and House Deputy Speaker Camille Villar. Tulfo clarified that he refrained from voting because he may end up serving as a judge in the impeachment trial.
On the other hand, the Makabayan Senate slate, while competing for seats in the Upper Chamber, has already urged the sitting Senate to act on the impeachment complaint promptly.
To recall, one of the four impeachment complaints was filed by the Makabayan bloc.
"This was an uphill battle for us. Pero mukhang bundok 'yung sa Senado, no? Kasi alam din naman natin ang influence pa ng mga Duterte doon," progressive senatorial candidate Liza Maza told reporters.
(This was an uphill battle for us, but it seems like a mountain at the Senate, right? Because we know the Dutertes still have influence there.)
