Senate to take up VP Sara’s impeachment post-elections

February 6, 2025 | 3:23pm

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis Escudero said on Thursday, February 6, that the Senate will not take up the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte during its break.

The House of Representatives made the historic decision to impeach Duterte on February 5, sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate on the same day. However, the Senate went on its scheduled break without tackling the case. 

The articles of impeachment were turned over to Senate Secretary General Renato Bantug Jr. in the middle of the Senate’s final plenary session, leaving little time for the upper chamber lawmakers to review the documents. 

In a press briefing on Thursday, Escudero explained that there was no way for the Senate to take up the impeachment complaint during the break.   

“Legally it cannot be done. Legally it cannot be done. Again, as I said, because the impeachment court was not convened, the impeachment complaint was not referred to plenary for there to be a basis to for the impeachment court to be convened,” Escudero said. 

The Senate resumes its session after the elections in May, on June 2. 

Escudero explained that the impeachment case was not part of their schedule for the day. For the impeachment complaint to be taken up in the plenary, a process must be followed.

There has been no caucus or discussion among the senators regarding the complaint. 

However, that does not mean that the impeachment complaint will remain untouched. 

Escudero said that the Senate President is tasked with organizing the Senate to prepare the trial. However, he said that they would not proceed with it immediately. 

Addressing criticisms that the impeachment trial should start immediately, Escudero cited the previous impeachment cases that the Senate took up. In 2011, the Senate held a trial for the impeachment of former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. The impeachment was filed on March 23 but the Senate adjourned session on March 26. The trial officially began on May 19. 

In the impeachment case of former Chief Justice Renato Corona, the complaint was filed on December 13, and the trial began on January 19.

Escudero justified that the House had two months to study the impeachment cases against Duterte. 

He said the Senate rules of impeachment still need to be reviewed.

Duterte is the first vice president in the history of the Philippines to be impeached by the House. Lawmakers in the House cited the alleged misuse of funds in the Office of the Vice President. However, Duterte also has a long string of controversial behavior other than the alleged budget mishandling. The vice president famously threatened to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. killed if she died. She has also admitted to fantasizing about beheading Marcos.