There will be no legal impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte during the lower chamber's session break, according to Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero.
Speaking at the Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday, Escudero clarified that the Senate President must first organize the Senate before conducting impeachment proceedings.
"The Senate President shall take proper order of the subject of Impeachment. Ibig sabihin, kailangan isaayos muna ng Senate President ang Senado para sa pag-conduct ng pagdinig o trial," he explained.
Escudero made this statement in response to calls for the Senate to take immediate action on the impeachment case.
He cited previous administrations where impeachment hearings were not immediately conducted due to the need for careful study by the Senate.
"Para mag-convene ang impeachment court, dapat may sesyon ang Senado. Para manumpa ang impeachment judges, kailangan may sesyon ang Senado. Bagaman ang trial pwedeng mag-proceed kahit na recess, tulad ng nangyari kay dating at yumaong Chief Justice [Renato] Corona, dapat ito ay masimulan, ma-convene, at mapanumpa ang mga judges kapag may session," he said.
Despite this, Escudero assured that the Senate would review possible actions regarding the impeachment case.
"Gagampanan namin ang aming tungkulin na pwedeng magawa habang recess, kabilang na ang pag-review ng rules ng Senado sa impeachment dahil kailangan po itong i-update," he said.
It can be recalled that the Senate adjourned its session yesterday without discussing the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President.
Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. explained that a "complete staff work" was necessary to thoroughly review the articles, but this process was not completed before the Senate adjourned.
He noted that the task of "comparing and matching" documents was only finished a few minutes after the Senate's plenary session had ended.
On Wednesday, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco arrived at the Senate at around 4:47 p.m.—roughly an hour after the House of Representatives impeached Duterte—to deliver the verified impeachment complaint.
Bantug formally received the documents at 5:50 p.m. in his office.
The verified complaint, approved by the House plenary, accuses Duterte of "Culpable Violation of the Constitution, Betrayal of Public Trust, Graft and Corruption, and Other High Crimes."
With 215 endorsers, the complaint exceeded the required one-third of House membership, allowing it to be transmitted directly to the Senate as stipulated in the 1987 Constitution.
