Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero received strong backing from Vice President Sara Duterte amid backlash over the delay in convening the Senate as an impeachment court.
During an ambush interview in The Hague, Netherlands, before flying back to the Philippines, Vice President Sara Duterte described Escudero as a well-known fearless senator and politician.
"I do not know him na natatakot na klase na pulitiko. So, hindi ko lang alam kung saan nanggagaling ‘yung sinasabi na takot si Senator Chiz Escudero," Duterte mentioned.
Earlier, Akbayan Party-list Representative Perci Cendaña criticized the chamber's continued inaction, saying it could be perceived as a betrayal of its constitutional duty and a deliberate attempt to shield the Vice President from accountability.
He went on to describe Escudero’s dismissive attitude as comparable to a transient fashion trend and reiterated that the Senate is constitutionally required to act as an impeachment court.
Escudero previoulsy mentioned that the decision to proceed with the impeachment trial and set its schedule rests with the 20th Congress.
Based on recent announcement, the schedule for the impeachment proceedings has been moved from June 2 to June 11.
The impeachment case stemmed from allegations of irregularities in the use of P612.5 million in confidential funds in 2022, as well as her televised threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
