VICE PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE — PHILIPINE STAR/ RYAN BALDEMOR

THE Philippine Senate has rejected a plea by congressmen who will act as prosecutors in Vice-President (VP)Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial to compel her to comment on her impeachment charges.

The Senate could not act on the motion since Congress is on a break and the Senate had yet to convene as an impeachment court, Senate President Francis G. Escudero told reporters on Wednesday.

“It cannot legally be done,” he said. “It is not allowed because the Senate is not in session.”

On Tuesday, the congressmen urged the Senate president summon the Vice-President and inform her of the charges.

“When the Senate is in session, only then can they present articles of impeachment and only then can the impeachment court be convened to mediate the impeachment,” Mr. Escudero said.

According to a proposed impeachment schedule, the prosecution’s presentation and the approval of updated impeachment trial rules are set for June 2 or once congress resumes from its four-month break.

Congress went on a four-month break for the 2025 midterm elections and will reconvene for a two-week session on June 2.

The proposed start of the trial is scheduled on July 30 once newly elected Senators take oath as impeachment judges on July 29.

The House impeached the Vice-President on Feb. 5, alleging secret fund misuse, unexplained wealth, acts of destabilization and plotting the assassination of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and his family. Ms. Duterte has denied any wrongdoing.

The impeachment complaint was filed and signed by more than 200 congressmen, more than the one-third legal requirement before it could be sent to the Senate.

Congress has been on a four-month break since February for the midterm elections. Filipinos will pick a new set of congressmen, 12 of the 24-member Senate and other local government officials on May 12.

Based on the proposed impeachment trial schedule, the prosecution’s presentation and the approval of updated impeachment trial rules were set for June 2. The Senate is expected to convene as an impeachment court the day after. The issuance of summonses was set for June 4.

The proposed start of the trial was scheduled for July 30, once newly elected senators take their oath as impeachment judges on July 29.

Mr. Escudero said earlier that the impeachment trial would likely be concluded before the October recess.

Meanwhile, Batangas Rep. Gerville R. Luistro insists Congress need not be in session for the Senate to be able to convene as an impeachment court “because impeachment is entirely different from legislative functions.”

“Our legal standing is rooted on the fact that the impeachment process is different from the legislative process,” she told a virtual news briefing.

Mr. Escudero has repeatedly said the Senate could not act on the impeachment complaints until Congress resumes sessions after the midterm elections.

He had also rejected calls for a special session to start the impeachment trial. He urged congressmen not to rush the impeachment process since this give Ms. Duterte the leverage.

“They might just be giving the accused… more reasons and weapons to question the process at the Supreme Court,” he said. “I would rather be more prudent and stay faithful to the law.”

Ms. Luistro said the House prosecution team had split-up into smaller groups to tackle each article of impeachment against the Vice-President. — A.H. Halili