Pimentel open to lead drafting of impeachment rules

March 3, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III expressed his willingness to lead the drafting of impeachment rules for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte through a special subcommittee, as recommended by Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino.

Pimentel said he could take on the task of spearheading a subcommittee on drafting Senate impeachment rules, since there are only five lawyers in the Senate.

“There is no problem. We are only five lawyers in the Senate today, so there may be no other choice,” he said in a message in Filipino to Senate reporters.

Pimentel, however, noted that he would wait to be officially assigned to do so before proceeding.

“I will wait for an official assignment. Then I will discuss with my staff,” he said.

Pimentel – on his second and last term as senator and now running for a congressional seat in Marikina – said, “Just like Senator Tol, I am also a candidate, but I am willing to devote time to our duty.”

Tolentino, who chairs the Senate committee on rules, earlier suggested that Pimentel could take the lead in drafting the impeachment trial procedures under a special subcommittee.

The House of Representatives transmitted the impeachment complaints against the Vice President to the Senate on Feb. 5, two hours before Congress went on recess to pave the way for the midterm elections.

Senate President Francis Escudero said the Senate would prepare and could tackle the matter only when Congress resumes session on June 2.

Some congressmen and some sectors are calling the Senate to immediately commence the impeachment trial, which could be done once President Marcos calls a special session to allow the Senate to convene as an impeachment court.

But Escudero explained that even when the Senate resumes session on June 2, the senators could not hold a trial right away as they will still have to prepare a lot and they would not be able to discuss anything until the 19th Congress closes on June 30.

The Senate President noted, first, they still need to adopt permanent impeachment rules – which are currently being drafted and will be debated back in session.

He said they still have to give Duterte time to answer the Articles of Impeachment which can be set for 10 days and an extension can be requested.

Escudero has proposed a timeline for the impeachment trial, beginning with the reading of the Articles of Impeachment on June 2, followed by the approval of revised impeachment trial rules.

Under his plan, incumbent senators would take their oath as judges on June 3, allowing for the issuance of summons, receipt of pleadings, and pre-trial proceedings from June 4 to July 25. To address the transition of senators whose terms end on June 30, Escudero suggested drafting a rule to clarify procedures if the trial extends beyond Congress’ sine die adjournment, which is from June 14 to July 27.

For the 12 incoming senators of the 20th Congress, he proposed their oath-taking as impeachment court judges on July 29, with the formal trial starting on July 30. Sessions would run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., ensuring senators could still attend their regular 3 p.m. legislative duties.

The Senate president included his proposed timeline in his Feb. 24 letter to all senators where he laid down the legal grounds for tackling the impeachment complaint during open session, and not during the break.

One-year ban on impeachment suits

Reacting to Escudero’s proposed timeline, Raul Lambino, one of six lawyers in the senatorial slate of former president Rodrigo Duterte, said yesterday the forthcoming new Senate composition on July 1 can no longer convene as an impeachment court to try the Vice President, because she should now be enjoying the one-year ban on filing impeachment suits.

“It is my personal opinion that, after June 30, the Articles of Impeachment now transmitted to the Senate cannot be used any longer in order to try VP Sara,” Lambino said.

Meanwhile, as Ramadan begins, the Vice President yesterday called on Muslim Filipinos to come together in prayer for the country as it navigates its way through adversity. — Delon Porcalla, Neil Jayson Servallos