The Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte should proceed under the regular process unless the Supreme Court (SC) issues a ruling that affects the case, said House trial spokesperson, Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) confirmed on Wednesday that it had received the summons issued by the Senate impeachment court.
This comes as the House prosecution panel considers regular press briefings during the impeachment trial to help the public understand the proceedings and prevent confusion over legal issues raised before the Senate impeachment court.
In a related development, the Bible Believers League for Morality and Democracy (BIBLEMODE) International urged the Senate to immediately proceed with Duterte’s impeachment trial, saying the chamber must uphold constitutional accountability over political expediency.
Adiong, an assistant majority leader and chairman of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, said the Senate which had received the Articles of Impeachment, convened as an impeachment court and adopted a timeline for the next steps in the trial.
“Well, the Senate has already adopted and set the timeline. Unless, of course, there’s a massive or, you know, change that might happen,” Adiong said during a Bilyonaryo News Channel interview.
“We don’t know. But based on the dates and the timeline that they have set, I’m pretty sure that both camps would abide by the summons, by the writ of summons,” he added.
Under the expected process, the Vice President will be summoned to answer the Articles of Impeachment, after which the prosecution will be given time to respond before pre-trial and trial proceedings begin.
“And so, yeah, probably around June the trial begins, the actual trial will begin,” Adiong said.
He said the Senate’s acceptance of the transmitted Articles should settle any attempt to revisit questions already acted upon by the House after it conducted proceedings in compliance with due process requirements.
“Well, it’s already academic at this point in time. It’s already water under the bridge,” Adiong stated.
“They have already accepted the transmittal of the articles of impeachment. They have already worn their robes,” he added.
Adiong noted that the House Committee on Justice had conducted confirmation hearings and gave Duterte’s camp enough room to appear, answer and participate in the proceedings.
House followed SC ruling on impeachment process
“So, to go back and then ask the question, the very process by which we have done the confirmation hearings in compliance with the ruling of the Supreme Court to exercise due process—we’ve given so much leeway for the team of the Vice President and her defense to appear before the Justice Committee during the confirmation hearings,” Adiong explained.
While acknowledging pending questions before the SC, Adiong said he would not preempt the tribunal, but stressed that the impeachment process has already moved forward.
“I’m not going to preempt what would be the decision of the Supreme Court, but the ball has already rolled in the course of events, starting from the filing of the impeachment up to the time that now the Senate has already taken custody of these articles of impeachment,” Adiong said.
Asked whether someone might move to pause the trial pending a Supreme Court action, Adiong recognized that such a scenario is possible.
“Well, it could be. It’s within the realm of possibility,” Adiong noted.
“But then again, the whole country is also watching. Remember, the people have been invested so much—both sides, the supporters of the Vice President and those who are actually holding her to account,” he added.
Adiong said the public will closely watch how the Senate proceeds because the impeachment trial is now the constitutionally designated forum for hearing the evidence and the defense.
“So the whole country is actually looking at how the Senate will act in so far as proceeding with the actual trial is concerned,” Adiong stated.
The lawmaker said that in the absence of a Supreme Court ruling stopping the process, the Senate should proceed because the duty to try and decide belongs to the institution, not to the personal preference of individual senators.
“But in absence of such a decision, it should go through the regular process because the question really is not how the Senate will appreciate the individual members of the Senate, appreciate the articles of impeachment,” Adiong pointed out.
“It is actually their duty. It is not a preference of individual senators, it is not their choice, it is their constitutionally given mandate to try and decide,” he added.
Adiong said any insistence on delay would have to be explained to the Filipino people, who have followed the case closely from the House proceedings to the Senate’s convening as an impeachment court.
“Well, I think the question is why? Why, for example, given that that might happen, why are they still insisting on delaying the process?” Adiong asked.
“I think the Filipino people will demand answers from them,” he added.
Adiong said the impeachment trial is a test of whether institutions can rise above partisanship and allow the constitutional accountability mechanism to function.
“So it’s a litmus test right now at this point in time for all of us to rise above partisanship, to be at least ma-statesmen because the Senate is the last bastion of democracy,” Adiong stressed.
He said the principle at stake remains clear for anyone who believes that public officers must answer under the law.
“And if you’re clear that you stand on accountability, on the belief that no one is above the law, then it’s very clear for you which side you stand on,” Adiong concluded.
OVP confirms receipt of Impeach Court summons
In a statement, the OVP said it received the summons and a copy of the Articles of Impeachment at around 10:40 a.m. Tuesday.
Earlier, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms was ordered to serve the written summons on Duterte together with the Articles of Impeachment after the Senate formally convened as an impeachment court on Monday.
The writ compels Duterte to respond to the impeachment charges within 10 days from receipt.
The charges include alleged betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes.
Adiong stressed that the prosecution team is preparing for the possibility of long trial days, close public attention and constant questions from media and citizens following the case.
Adiong said the exact format is still being discussed, but he personally believes that regular briefings would be useful, especially because the impeachment trial is already one of the most closely watched political and constitutional events in the country.
The Lanao del Sur House leader said formal briefings would also help reporters obtain clearer information from the prosecution side while avoiding multiple interpretations of what happened in the impeachment court.
He said the Filipino people have followed the impeachment case closely, making regular updates more necessary as the Senate begins to act on the Articles of Impeachment.
Adiong said the Senate’s convening as an impeachment court marked an important step and strengthened expectations that the process would move forward.
“Finding probable cause, the House Committee on Justice sent its report and recommendation on the impeachment complaints against the Vice President of the Republic to the plenary that cast an unexpected overwhelming vote to impeach the Vice President way beyond the constitutional requirement,” BIBLEMODE said in a statement furnished to the House Committee on Justice.
“This echoed the general sentiment of the Filipino people on the accountability of the Vice President, like any other public officer and employee,” it added.
The statement was also furnished to Speaker Faustino Dy III through a May 19 letter from Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., BIBLEMODE president and one of the endorsers of the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated. Originally posted with the headline “‘Impeach trial must proceed regularly unless SC rules otherwise’.”
