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Saturday, July 5, 2025
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20th Congress can handle VP Sara impeachment—Lacson

Senator-elect Panfilo Lacson said the best course of action regarding the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is to allow it to carry over into the 20th Congress, with the Senate serving as the impeachment court.

Lacson issued the statement as he dismissed the assertion of a draft resolution linked to the office of Senator Ronald dela Rosa, which claimed that the Senate could declare a de facto dismissal of the impeachment case against the Vice President.

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Only the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, has the authority to make a decision on this matter, according to the returning senator.

“There is no merit in the draft resolution calling for the de facto dismissal of the impeachment case against Vice President Duterte. Only the Senate, as an impeachment court, has the jurisdiction to render a decision; the Senate, as a legislative body, does not possess the legal authority to do so,” Lacson said.

He noted that, due to time constraints, it is no longer feasible to conduct the impeachment trial in the 19th Congress. However, he clarified that the Senate, functioning as an impeachment court, would not be limited by these time constraints.

Lacson referred to debates in the Senate held on June 2, during which Senator Aquilino Pimentel III mentioned the case of Pimentel vs. Joint Congressional Hearing in 2004, highlighting the distinction between the Senate as an impeachment court and the Senate as a legislative body.

“If the senators are not acting as an impeachment court, they lack the authority to dismiss the impeachment case. The only entity that can properly address an impeachment case transmitted by the House is the impeachment court itself,” he explained. 

“In this scenario, since the impeachment court has not yet been convened, the Senate is currently functioning as a legislative body, which means they are not authorized to act on an impeachment case sent by the House,” Lacson added.

When asked whether the Senate could consider a resolution to not convene as an impeachment court, Lacson replied, “They can certainly attempt to, but I believe the Supreme Court would strike it down if someone challenges the resolution.”

“In my opinion, the best way forward is to allow the impeachment trial to transition into the 20th Congress, as it can no longer be conducted in the 19th Congress. Ultimately, the best approach is to proceed with the trial to determine whether there will be a conviction or acquittal,” he said.

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