SENATE President Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero offers his proposal for the ‘Calendar of Impeachment’ the Upper Chamber would follow for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
During their meeting last February 27, Escudero said the ‘Articles of Impeachment’ would be presented to the senators when they reconvene on June 2, after the May 12 midterm elections, after which the Senate would also convene as the Impeachment Court with the swearing-in as senator-judges of the incumbent members of the 19th Congress.
On the one hand, the new senators elected after the midterm polls constituting the members of the 20th Congress would be swear-in as senator-judges after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Marcos on July 28.
He said the start of the formal trial would commence two days later, on July 30.
“The Senate hopes to adhere to the foregoing schedule and, considering that both the prosecution and defense will have ample time to prepare for the proceedings, (the Senate) will not tolerate any dilatory motion or pleading,” Escudero said.
Escudero also signed Special Order No. 2025-015 (OSP) Series of 2025 for the establishment of an administrative support group that will assist in the trial.
Escudero also rejected the call of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III for a Senate ‘caucus’ to discuss and vote on his proposal for the immediate convening of the Senate as an impeachment court so it can start with the trial of the Vice President.
Pimentel, whose father, the late Senate President Aquilino ‘Nene’ Pimentel, presided on the impeachment trial of President Joseph Estrada in 2001, maintained that the Senate, as a legislative body, does not need to be in session to act on the impeachment, a position that runs contrary to the position of Escudero (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau).