WHAT THEY SAID: Senators weigh in on Minority bloc's motion to convene Senate as Duterte impeachment court
The Senate minority bloc moved to convene the upper house as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel made the motion during the plenary session on June 9, two days before the scheduled reading of impeachment articles in the Senate on June 11.
The move was seconded by Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte in February. The reading of the articles of impeachment, initially set for June 2, was moved to June 11, with the 19th Congress set to adjourn sine die on June 14.
Several groups, including educational institutions, called for the Senate to begin the impeachment trial immediately.
A discussion among lawmakers also commenced on beginning the impeachment proceedings. Here’s what the senators said.
Pro
Sen. Koko Pimentel: "The Senate President refused to convene the Senate as the impeachment court from February to May 2025 because he believes the Senate could not act on articles of impeachment while it was not in legislative session. We have an honest difference of opinion on this matter. For the record, I believe the Senate has a separate existence as the impeachment court from the Senate which is part of the legislative department.”
Sen. Risa Hontiveros: “Hindi po tayo inipit ng rules… We had a choice every step of the way and our choice has been to delay, to drag our feet, to hide behind what we say are legal ambiguities, tapos ngayon, biglang bibilisan. An impeachment trial of all three days? We’ve dragged our feet for several months, then suddenly, we tell the Filipino public that we are able to sift through evidence and exact accountability from the second-highest official in our land in three days. What insanity is this?
Sen. Joel Villanueva: “I’m in the same position as the Minority Leader, but I just wanted to make sure that we are doing the right thing, the right process, because we are men of rules."
Sen. Grace Poe: “I agree with the Minority Leader, na kung 'yung Senate electoral tribunal, naitatawid natin for other Congresses... This is a political exercise. It's not bound by very strict rules of court... We are all in agreement here that we cannot make a judgment at this point, but we have to definitely hear it."
Sen. Win Gatchalian: "Ito (impeachment trial) po ay hindi na natin desisyon, o choice, ito po ay ang ating Constitutional duty at ito po ay ating sinumpaan na responsibilidad noong tayo ay naging senador."
Against
Sen. Francis Tolentino: "Nagkaroon ba ng dereliction of duty, remiss ba ang Senado? Hindi po. Ako nga po kanina, para magkaroon ng semblance of rules, sabi ko we can do this (impeachment trial) in 19 days... Sabi nila mabilis 19 days, si president [Donald] Trump, na-impeach five days. Si president [Bill] Clinton, mabilis din 'yun. We can still start the impeachment process, but I stick with the Constitutional precept that we cannot carry over. We cannot allow a crossover because it is not part of the Constitution."
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano: “It’s unfair to just blame the Senate President. 23 tayong senador eh, conscious naman tayo lahat noong Feb. 5, nandito naman tayo, pwede naman tayo mag object noong nag adjourn, nung finile yan. As the minority leader said, andyan na ‘yan.”
Sen. Robin Padilla: “Hindi po ako abogado, ako po ay madalas akusado. Ako po ay ex-convict kaya ako po ay sanay sa korte. Ako po ay laging humaharap sa korte. Lahat ng proceeding ng korte naaubtan ko na hanggang sa pagka-kulong. Kailangan po siguro maipaintindi natin sa lahat na due process, kailangan dumaan sa due process. Hindi tayo pwedeng pa-lundag-lundag.”
Sen. Bato Dela Rosa: “Hindi ako abogado pero ako ay isang Pilipino na gusto sana na hindi na tayo magkakagulo sa Pilipinas, hindi tayo magka-watak-watak. At ‘yung mga nagyayabang diyan, sabi nila, gusto daw ng taumbayan na magkaroon kaagad ng impeachment, [taubmayan] lagi ginagamit, I don’t know kung sinong taumbayan sinasabi nila. Alam ko, halos lahat ng tao ng Mindanao at Visayas, as I have observed, sinabi sa’kin, ‘Sir, iboboto kita kung hindi ka mag-boto sa impeachment o conviction.’”
Sen. Migz Zubiri: “Pwede ba 'tong tumalon sa 20th Congress? Personally, I've said this to the media, I think hindi siya pwedeng i-tawid sa 20th Congress. Kung pwede, pag-debatehan na natin ngayon, hanggang petsa-30 ng Hunyo. Araw-gabi tayo nandito... Let us follow the Constitutional mandate."
Senate President Chiz Escudero: "I quoted this in my letter to the senators. Forthwith, citing various cases, means within a reasonable time, which may be a longer or shorter period according to the circumstances of a particular case. 'It may be modified by circumstances and the duty to be performed.'"
"Sa mga nagssabi na mag-convene during recess, sa aking pananaw at palagay ito ay labag sa Saligang Batas. At sa mga gusto talagang matanggal si Vice President Duterte, dun sa mga galit sa kanya, inis sa kanya, gustong madali itong impeachment, parang binigyan mo lang siyang dagdag na bala para kuwestyionin sa Korte Suprema dahil hindi pwede 'yan. Hindi po ako papayag mangyari at gawin yan dahil lamang nagmamadali sila."
Later in the session, Senate President Chiz Escudero took his oath as the presiding officer for the impeachment court, while Senator-judges were scheduled to take their oaths on June 11, 4 p.m.
The impeachment court will still formally convene on June 11.
