Sara Duterte says senator-judges should not be asked to inhibit from her impeachment trial

Donning their Oxford crimson robes, members of the Senate on June 10, 2025 took their oath as senator-judges who would deliberate on the merit of the impeachment case filed by the House of Representatives against Vice President Sara Duterte. Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate Social Media Unit/ Joseph B. Vidal, OSP

DAVAO CITY (UPDATE) — Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday scoffed at suggestions that some senators-judges should inhibit from her impeachment trial after openly saying that they will block the ouster proceedings against the second-in-command. 

Impeachment court spox defends senator-judges on remarks about trial

Several legal luminaries and analysts earlier said that senator-judges who have been vocal in defending Duterte even before the impeachment trial began should no longer participate in the actual proceedings. 

“Hindi tayo puwede magpa-inhibit ng mga senator-judges based on bias dahil ang posisyon ng isang tao ay you are for or against Inday Sara,” Duterte said in a press conference here.

“Kung ganoon ang ating basehan sa inhibition, dapat natin ipa-inhibit ang senators na may bias against Sara Duterte,” she said.

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The Vice President cited Sen. Risa Hontiveros as an example, saying that the Senate Deputy Minority Leader has also made public pronouncements about her stance against the Duterte family.

“Si Risa Hontiveros in a public speech, sinabi niya na burahin, wasakin, gibain ang Pamilya Duterte,” the Vice President alleged.

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Prior to calls for inhibition, Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa admitted that he wants Duterte’s impeachment to be dismissed, while other Duterte supporters in the chamber refused to wear their ceremonial robes for the impeachment. 

Senator-judges should be given the benefit of the doubt that they will fulfill their mandates under the Constitution, she said.

PALACE REACTS

Malacañang for its part said the public clearly sees who among the senator-judges in the impeachment trial follow the rule of law and who are those biased towards her. 

“Makikita naman ng taumbayan kung sino ba talaga ang bias at hindi at makikita rin ng taumbayan kung sino sa mga senador ang nagtatrabaho lamang ayon sa batas at ayon sa rule of law. Kung ganyan po ang kanyang opinyon, wala po tayong masasabi, dahil iyan po ay nasa kanyang saloobin,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.

Asked whether the actions of certain senator-judges are tainting the integrity of the impeachment court, Castro said that it is very hard to make conclusions.

“Mahirap magbigay ng konklusyon, muli nasa senador na po iyan na siyang umaakto bilang judges sa impeachment court at hayaan na lamang po natin ang kanilang pagkilos, pag-evaluate ng pangyayari sa kanila mismong impeachment court at tao naman po ang makakakita kung sila po ay nagtatrabaho ng maayos,” she said.

The Senate drew flak earlier this month from members of the academe and legal experts for returning Duterte’s impeachment case to the House of Representative shortly before the 19th Congress ended last week.

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While the senators took their oath as senator-judges, the chamber did not begin impeachment proceedings as majority of the chamber voted to remand the case to House prosecutors for further certification.

Duterte’s ouster proceedings raised several constitutional issues as it is the first impeachment trial in the Philippines that will crossover from one congress to another.

As criticisms mount, Escudero says impeachment court accomplished its 'targets'

Earlier this year, Duterte asked the Supreme Court to block her impeachment trial, but magistrates have yet to release a ruling on her petition. —With a report from Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News

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