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Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima. Senate PRIB, Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1748584623475ESTRADA-DELIMA.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima. <em>Senate PRIB, Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATE)</strong> — Senate President Pro Tempre Jinggoy Estrada on Friday fired back at incoming ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima who said she has heard &quot;whispers&quot; that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will no longer push through.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/29/senate-pushes-back-start-of-sara-duterte-impeachment-proceedings-1835">Senate pushes back start of Sara Duterte impeachment proceedings</a></div><p>De Lima in a video said there were rumors that the impeachment case was doomed and will be &quot;dead on arrival&quot; at the Senate</p><p>&quot;Tapos na bago pa magsimula (Over before it even started),&quot; said De Lima, who was recently tapped as a House prosecutor in the impeachment trial.</p><p>But Estrada dismissed De Lima&#x27;s claim as gossip and accused her of &quot;grandstanding.&quot; </p><p>Estrada said in a phone interview that senators &quot;are not going to abandon our Constitutional duty to hear the impeachment case against the vice president.&quot; </p><p>Speculation that the trial will not push through have been fueled by the postponement of the presentation of the impeachment articles to June 11 from June 2.</p><p>The presentation by the House panel would trigger the convening of the impeachment court.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/7/sara-duterte-says-she-s-okay-after-impeachment-we-leave-it-to-the-lawyers-1127">Sara Duterte says she’s ‘okay’ after impeachment: ‘We leave it to the lawyers’</a></div><p>Senate President Francis Escudero cited the need to pass legislative priorities as the reason for the postponement.</p><p>&quot;The passage of the priority bills should take precedence,&quot; Estrada said.</p><p>Former Senate President Franklin Drilon said he believes the revised timetable won&#x27;t really affect the impeachment trial.</p><p>&quot;In either case, the case, the trial will spill over to the next Congress,&quot; he said.</p><div><strong>PIMENTEL: LEGISLATIVE WORK CAN GIVE WAY TO IMPEACHMENT</strong></div><p>Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said that while the trial proper is not expected to start in June, the delay still means time that could have been used to send a summons and direct Duterte to respond. </p><p>He also rejected Escudero&#x27;s justification — the need to work on pending bills — saying the Senate&#x27;s Impeachment Rules put priority on the trial.</p><p>He said that Rule X holds that &quot;the legislative business of the Senate, if there be any, shall be suspended&quot; during the time that a hearing is set.</p><p>Pimentel, who advocated starting the trial in February, said the further delay in the trial is no longer &quot;in the spirit of &#x27;forthwith&#x27;&quot; as required by the 1987 Constitution.</p><p>&quot;Kasi nga sabi ng Constitution eh tapusin nyo na agad yan, mag-trial na kayo para matapos na,&quot; he said.</p><p>(The Constitution tells us to resolve it quickly, to hold a trial and resolve the case)</p><div><strong>&#x27;NO COUP&#x27; VS CHIZ</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, Estrada maintained there is no plot to oust Escudero from the Senate&#x27;s helm upon the resumption of congressional sessions on Monday.</p><p>&quot;As far as I know, walang ganun na mangyayari (As far as I know, there is nothing like that happening).&quot;</p><p>On Thursday, Sen. Joel Villanueva also quelled talk of Escudero being ousted before the 19th Congress adjourns sine die in two weeks.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/15/escudero-unbothered-by-tito-sotto-s-remark-about-senate-presidency-1549">Escudero &#x27;unbothered&#x27; by Tito Sotto&#x27;s remark on Senate presidency</a></div><p>&quot;Yung changes of leadership before ending the 19th Congress I doubt it kung meron doon,&quot; Villanueva said.</p><p>However, Estrada was coy about Escudero keeping his post in the 20th Congress.</p><p>Senator-elect Vicente Sotto III has expressed interest in the position, while Sen. Imee Marcos also said she had been approached about it.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/14/sotto-willing-to-accept-senate-presidency-if-there-are-enough-numbers-1428">Sotto willing to accept Senate Presidency if there are &#x27;enough numbers&#x27;</a></div><p>&quot;That remains to be seen. But as far as I&#x27;m concerned, I&#x27;m confident that SP Chiz will still retain his post as Senate president,&quot; Estrada said, but added that the situation remains fluid.</p><p>The 19th Congress adjourns sine die on June 11, 2025, with terms of half of the incumbent senators expiring end of June.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B96P5G_2Pk4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Leila De Lima in a video said there were rumors that the impeachment case against Duterte was doomed and will be "dead-on-arrival" at the Senate.</p>

Leila De Lima in a video said there were rumors that the impeachment case against Duterte was doomed and will be "dead-on-arrival" at the Senate.

'Naniniwala sa chismis': Jinggoy blasts De Lima for 'dead' impeachment rumors

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'Naniniwala sa chismis': Jinggoy blasts De Lima for 'dead' impeachment rumors

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 30, 2025 01:57 PM PHT

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Updated May 30, 2025 03:30 PM PHT

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Senate

Jinggoy Estrada

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