Senate President Francis Escudero on Tuesday emphasized the need for careful deliberation in updating impeachment rules, saying that changes should not affect the ongoing case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
“I don’t want the Senate to be accused of changing the rules in the middle of the game. Vice President Sara might say they were changed just because of her,” he said.
Escudero said the Senate debated extensively on the matter, but ultimately decided against making sweeping modifications to the rules while an active case was pending.
He warned that altering the regulations mid-process could be perceived as targeted adjustments against Duterte, potentially leading to legal challenges.
“Let’s not give anyone a reason to challenge this in court. The only changes we will make will refine procedures for future impeachment complaints without affecting Vice President Sara Duterte’s ongoing case,” the senate chief said.
The Senate’s calendar, approved in July 2024, includes a scheduled adjournment on February 5 for elections, with sessions resuming from June 2 to June 13.
According to Escudero, impeachment proceedings must occur during an open session, meaning any significant actions, such as the reading of charges and approval of trial rules, must wait until the Senate reconvenes.
He outlined a tentative timeline where, assuming the trial proceeds, initial pleadings and responses from both sides could extend proceedings through June, potentially concluding before the Senate recess in October 2025.
Escudero also dismissed criticisms from individuals he described as partisan, saying their opinions held no weight in the Senate’s decision-making process.
“Is VP Sara special? Are we more eager to remove her than others? Shouldn’t we treat this impeachment the same way we handled previous ones? We cannot change the rules arbitrarily,” he reminded.
Escudero argued that historical precedents, including the impeachment trials of Chief Justices Renato Corona and Maria Lourdes Sereno, demonstrated that impeachment proceedings do not commence immediately after a case is filed.
The Senate, he asserted, must follow due process rather than rush proceedings due to external pressure.
“If they (House lawmakers) were just idling around and waited two and a half months after filing the first impeachment complaint before submitting it to us, they are in no position now to rush us after they themselves dragged their feet in the House,” Escudero said.