The Senate, led by President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, has rejected the House prosecutors’ request to immediately summon Vice President Sara Duterte in the ongoing impeachment process.
On Tuesday, House prosecutors, led by House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, personally filed a motion urging the Senate to require VP Duterte to respond to the articles of impeachment against her.
In a media forum at Manila Bay, Escudero clarified that the Vice President can only be asked to comment once the impeachment court is convened.
According to the proposed calendar, the Senate will convene as an impeachment court on June 3.
Escudero also took a swipe at Libanan, saying he should already understand the difference between session and recess, as he was one of the authors of the House rules, which closely mirror those of the Senate.
He emphasized that the Senate cannot issue a writ of summons because there is no ongoing session, and the impeachment court has yet to be convened.
Escudero reminded Libanan and House prosecutors about their interpretation of the term “forthwith”, which they believe means the Senate should immediately act on the impeachment complaint.
However, Escudero noted that their petition was not a waste of time, as filing the appeal was part of due process.
House prosecutors previously invoked the constitutional mandate requiring the Senate to proceed with the trial once the impeachment complaint is transmitted.
They cited Section 3, Paragraph 4, Article XI of the Constitution, which states: “shall forthwith proceed.”
Despite this, the Senate leadership urged the House to exercise caution, warning that rushing the process could give the impeached party grounds to challenge it before the Supreme Court.