Escudero oath in Duterte impeachment trial: What happens next?

MANILA — Senate President Francis Escudero's oath-taking as the presiding officer in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is a “giant step” that could spur “more questions and debates,” Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said.

Cayetano noted that the 19th Congress lapses on June 30.

"Ang question kasi nga, diba last day [ng session] sa Wednesday, baka di mapag-usapan lahat ng issue na dapat pag-usapan before mag-convene [ang Senate impeachment trial court]… But remember once nag-convene, may mga fillings yan, may summons, yung sagot and everything so that will take time,” Cayetano said late Monday.

“So in one sense may one giant step today (oath-taking), but in another sense expect many more questions and debates tomorrow and the next day," he continued.

Senate President Francis Escudero on Monday took his oath as presiding officer of the impeachment court after hours of plenary debate, setting in motion the impeachment trial.

Senators on Tuesday will take their oath as judges before the Senate convenes as an impeachment court on Wednesday.

Asked if the convening is already cast in stone, Cayetano said, “Yes. That's why nga importante at mahigit sa symbolic yung constituted. Kasi once you constitute it (the impeachment court), hindi basta mamamatay yan. Then you'll have to either have a verdict or have a reason bakit matatapos ang trabaho ng impeachment court.”

Before senators take their oath as judges, scheduled at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Cayetano said: "Senator Bato [Dela Rosa] wants to take the floor tomorrow…May sasabihin siya bago mag-convene.”

Once the court convenes, it may settle the matter of whether the impeachment trial can cross over to the 20th Congress.

Cayetano believes said the 19th Congress cannot bind the 20th Congress.

“Halimbawa sinettle namin one way or the other, pwede o hindi. Hindi mo naman pwedeng pangunahan ang 20th Congress. So pag sinabi namin hindi pwedeng tumawid, sinabi ng 20th pwede, siyempre masusunod yung 20th," Cayetano said.

"I don’t want to make fearless forecast kasi hindi ko alam mangyayari, but I can tell you what cannot be done. The 19th congress cannot bind the 20th congress."

Upon convening, Cayetano said the court will just implement existing rules.

"Mayroon na tayong rules so actually susundin yung rules. Di ba today, ni-refer sa committee on rules, so last time na nagkaroon ng impeachment from the committee on rules, the next day nag-convene na,”

“So doon nga nagkakaroon ng issue. Sabi ni Senator Koko, ba't hindi na lang mag-convene tomorrow (Tuesday)? So sabi naman sa one side bakit hindi sa Wednesday? But yun nga sa course of discussio. Sinabi na magsasalita, maaaring magsalita si Sen Bato, so inaabangan din namin kung magsasalita siya o hindi. "

Cayetano also declined to answer if the convening would render moot and academic measures seeking to dismiss the case. On Monday, Sen. Robin Padilla filed a resolution seeking to declare the termination of the proceedings.

"Hindi ko masasagot yan. Kasi nga mayroon pang tomorrow at mayroon pang Wednesday. Kaya sabi ko sa inyo, lahat pa ng issues ay maaari pang pag-usapan. For example, yung tanong ko kanina doon sa one impeachment per year,” Cayetano said.

“Sabi ng kampo ni VP Sara, nilabag yun. So pwedeng dito sa session idecide yan, pwedeng sa impeachment trial, pwede din sabihin isang tabi natin yan hintayin natin Supreme Court. So lahat ng options nandiyan.” 

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ESCUDERO’S OATH 

The Senate chief took the oath following about 5 hours of deliberations during the plenary sessions on top of off-the-record private discussions among members of the Senate.

Cayetano explained why Escudero took the oath on Monday even if it can still be done on Wednesday.

"Kasi nga yung lumabas na issue today is dini-delay ba ng Senate so dahil nga tumayo ang minority leader, ang deputy minority leader, so ayun nga sinabi ko kanina if you want to discuss paano mapabilis, let’s, but wag na tayo magturuan ng sino may kasalanan,”

“Kasi ano tayo e constituents, isang buong ano tayo, we all could have said something earlier kaso hindi naman natin kontrolado.”

He added: “May nagsasabi ng ano itong pagtake niya ng oath today, pag-constitute tomorrow is symbolic. But sinasabi nga ng ibang senador, it’s more than symbolic because once ma-constitute yan, tuloy-tuloy na.”

Sen. JV Ejercito said he hoped that the oath would quell claims that the Senate was supposedly delaying or blocking the impeachment process.