Senate Minority Leader Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III on Monday formally filed a motion to begin the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, as announced earlier by Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros.
“Trial is the most fair course of action because the people need to know if their representatives acted properly and justly by hearing the evidence used by them in filing the impeachment case,” Pimentel said.
“And in the name of due process, we need to give the impeached officer the chance to defend himself or herself and clear his or hear name,” he added during a Senate plenary session.
Pimentel urged the Senate to uphold its constitutional responsibility by promptly starting the trial without any further delay.
“The root cause of this is the apprehension of our people based on recent pronouncements and developments that there will be no impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte,” he said.
According to Pimentel, Senate President Francis Escudero has refused to convene the Senate as an impeachment court from February to May 2025, citing the position that the Senate cannot act on impeachment articles outside of legislative sessions.
Pimentel disagreed, saying the Senate acting as an impeachment court is distinct from its legislative functions.
“We have an honest difference of opinion on this matter. For the record, I believe that the Senate has a separate existence as the impeachment court from the Senate which is a part of the legislative department,” he argued.
Hontiveros supported the call for the trial to begin immediately and insisted that the Senate President should be sworn in as presiding officer without delay.
She also emphasized that senators must be sworn in as judges of the impeachment court as soon as possible.
“The order is not difficult to understand for anyone who sincerely intends to follow it. The trial must begin immediately, without evasion or any further delays,” she said.
Hontiveros noted that the Articles of Impeachment, which have been pending for some time, need to be formally presented to the Senate.
She cited the Constitution’s provision requiring the Senate to proceed with impeachment trials immediately after the House files a verified complaint signed by at least one-third of its members.
Hontiveros said that professors and practitioners of law agree that the trial should begin as soon as possible.
This consensus includes members from the Philippine Bar Association, University of the Philippines College of Law, Ateneo Schools and Colleges of Law, De La Salle University-Tañada-Diokno School of Law, San Beda University Graduate School of Law, Philippine Law School, University of Santo Tomas, Lyceum of the Philippines College of Law, Adamson University College of Law, Colegio de San Juan Letran, and the Union of People’s Lawyers-Mindanao.
Both Pimentel and Hontiveros insist there should be no hesitation or postponement in commencing the impeachment trial against Vice President Duterte.
“I am here before you to also appeal to the deeper purpose of the law. And the spirit of the impeachment power is unmistakable: it is accountability. It is to ensure that no public officer, however powerful, is above the Constitution,” she said.
“This process must not be rendered impotent through procedural subterfuge,” Hontiveros added.
In line with this, Pimentel also laid out the following courses of action to guide members of the Senate in the impeachment proceedings:
- Suspension of regular legislative business
- Convening of the impeachment court
- Oath-taking of Senate President Chiz Escudero as the presiding officer
- Oath-taking of senator-judges
- Adoption of an impeachment trial calendar
- Reading of the Articles of Impeachment on Tuesday, June 10
- Issuance of summons
Hontiveros earlier said the Senate minority would lead the motion to begin the impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte, so the senators can fulfill their constitutional duty as demanded by the people.
She said the process of administering oaths and presenting the Articles of Impeachment should not take more than an hour.
“Let’s not pretend an hour is too much to ask. When it comes to other proposals in the plenary, we go as late as midnight. I believe we can find time for this. We have three full days of session left, which can last up to near midnight as they have in recent days,” she said.
Hontiveros noted that public pressure continues to build for the Senate to act, citing support from religious groups, lawyers’ associations, universities, and former constitutional framers.
She named former Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna, former Commission on Elections Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, and 1987 Constitution framer Christian Monsod among those calling for action.
“Are we going to be cowards over simply opening an impeachment trial? Will we turn a blind eye to the clear mandate of the Constitution and turn a deaf ear to the call of the people? I hope not,” she said.
Hontiveros warned that failing to act would not only disappoint the public but invite harsh judgment from history.
She vowed that the Senate minority will take the necessary steps to ensure the process begins.
“I will not allow the Senate itself, under this 19th Congress, to be the one to defy the Constitution,” the senator assured.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated story. Originally posted with the headline: “Senate minority will lead motion to start impeachment trial.”
