Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

The Makabayan Coalition hold a protest in front of the House of Representatives on November 25, 2024, calling for the impeachment of Vice President Duterte, who they say is shamelessly using her position to steal millions in government funds. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Impeach Sara Now-protest

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174884831673720241125-makabayan-protest-vp-duterte-MT-8.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The Makabayan Coalition hold a protest in front of the House of Representatives on November 25, 2024, calling for the impeachment of Vice President Duterte, who they say is shamelessly using her position to steal millions in government funds. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Makabayan Coalition hold a protest in front of the House of Representatives on November 25, 2024, calling for the impeachment of Vice President Duterte, who they say is shamelessly using her position to steal millions in government funds. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATED)</strong> — Senate President Francis Escudero on Monday said the expiration of the 19th Congress this month also stalls the impeachment proceedings at the Senate against Vice President Sara Duterte.</p><p>This, as the mandate of congressmen prosecutors expires by June 30 and it will be up to the Senate of the 20th Congress to ultimately decide if it will hold the impeachment trial or not.  </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" 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>The Senate chief said those who disagree with whatever the Senate decides can seek relief before the Supreme Court.</p><p>Escudero said this when asked if the Senate can hold the trial in the 20th Congress for an impeachment that was filed by the 19th Congress, which will be adjourning for good next week.</p><p>&quot;Di ba nga, opinion din ni Senator Koko [Pimentel], tutuloy ito. Hanggang sa susunod. Ang opinion naman ng iba ay hindi tutuloy. Di ba? Kanya-kanya ng opinion niyan. Pero sa dulo, ang susundin kung may mag-motion sa bagay na yan ay ang mayorya ng Senado. Yung hindi sang-ayon sa magiging pasya ng Senado, karapatan nilang umakyat sa Korte Suprema para bigyang linaw yung issue nito kung may paglabag nga ba o wala,&quot; Escudero said in a press conference.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/30/-naniniwala-sa-chismis-jinggoy-blasts-de-lima-for-dead-impeachment-rumors-1357">&#x27;Naniniwala sa chismis&#x27;: Jinggoy blasts De Lima for &#x27;dead&#x27; impeachment rumors</a></div><p>Escudero last week announced that the reading of the articles of impeachment set for June 2 has been rescheduled to June 11.</p><p>&quot;Eleven, ipe-present ng Kamara yung Articles of Impeachment. Pag-uusapan, pagdedebatihan, at kung wala, ay i-rerefer yan sa Committee on Rules na magsisilbing senyales at hudyat para i-create ang Impeachment Court sa 11 din. Susumpa kami, iko-convene ang Impeachment court, mag-a-approve ng rules, at mag-i-issue ng summons. Dun magwawakas yung procedure na gagawin sa ilalim ng 19th Congress sa June 11,&quot; he explained.</p><p>&quot;Iintayin namin magbigay ng sagot ang ikalawang Pangulo. Sampung araw matapos na matanggap yung summons... Pagkagat ng June 30, wala nang otoridad ang mga prosecutors o private prosecutors nila. So maaantala ang trial at iintayin na yung pag-resume o pagbubukas ng panibagong Kongreso,&quot; Escudero added.</p><div><strong>&#x27;THEY CAN REVERSE IT&#x27;</strong></div><p>Escudero said that the next set of senators under the 20th Congress will ultimately decide the fate of the impeachment trial.</p><p>&quot;Sa pagbubukas ng panibagong Kongreso, magpapasya sila, sasangayon ba sila sa ginawa ng 19th Congress o babaguhin ba nila ito? They can either reverse it or they can either approve it or acquiesce to it by simply proceeding with trial.&quot;</p><p>Escudero&#x27;s announcement of postponement last week prompted a comment from Sen. Imee Marcos that it is a sign that the impeachment is doomed.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/2/escudero-addresses-no-impeachment-scenario-in-the-end-senate-plenary-is-supreme-1133">Escudero addresses &#x27;no impeachment trial&#x27; scenario: &#x27;In the end, Senate plenary is supreme&#x27;</a></div><p>&quot;Ang plenaryo ang dapat magpasiya yan, klaro naman ang kanyang opinion at posisyon kaugnay sa bagay na yan, pero hindi para sa akin na sabihin na yan ang posisyon ng kabuuan ng Senado,&quot; Escudero said.</p><p>Escudero also hit back at ML party-list congresswoman-elect Leila de Lima&#x27;s claim that the impeachment will ultimately be killed.</p><p>&quot;Hindi ko trabahong reactan ang congressman-elect na hindi pa naman pormal na nagiging prosecutor o bahagi ng trial lalo na at particular na ito&#x27;y pagpapasya ng Senado na hindi kabilang pa at wala pang papel ang Kamara o ang nasasakdal,&quot; he said.</p><p>Escudero added that even the matter of convening as a court on June 11 will be up to the plenary.</p><p>&quot;The plenary of the Senate is the supreme body of the Senate. It gets to decide anything and everything. Although at first instance, it can be decided by the Senate President but ultimately, it will have to be confirmed and affirmed or rejected for that matter by plenary.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/30/lawmakers-worry-over-sara-duterte-no-impeachment-trial-scenario-1716">Lawmakers worry over Sara Duterte &#x27;no impeachment trial&#x27; scenario</a></div><p>Escudero addressed concerns that the delays may lead to a no trial scenario, which he said is ultimately up to the full Senate.</p><p>&quot;Hindi ko alam kung anong hugot nila. Pero, gaya na sinabi ko, sa dulo, plenaryo, magdadesisyon sa lahat ng bagay na ito.&quot;</p><p>Escudero also denied the delay had something to do with keeping his position as Senate President.</p><p>&quot;Hindi ko makita yung rason. Wala yata akong kinalaman. Hindi ako yung nasasakdal sa impeachment complaint. I don&#x27;t see the connection. I don&#x27;t see the connection between postponing it. Again, walang mapapaburan ito,&quot; he said.</p><div><strong>‘FUNCTIONALLY DISMISSED’</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, outgoing Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said the impeachment trial of Duterte cannot cross over to the 20th Congress, arguing that it will be functionally dismissed if the Senate cannot complete the trial by the end of the term of the 19th Congress on June 30.</p><p>&quot;Mr. President, kahit anong pilit, hindi maitatawid, lalo na at kung lalabag sa saligang batas. Let this manifestation be entered into the official records and journal of this chamber. I will likewise submit a version of this manifestation complete with footnotes for proper documentation. I speak in defense of constitutional order, procedural</p><p>fairness, and the institutional dignity of this Senate,” he said.</p><p>Allowing the 20th Congress to take over this trial would be ultra-vires or beyond our constitutional power. Jurisdiction over impeachment is exclusive to the Congress that receives the complaint. Supreme Court rulings in Neri v. Senate and Balag v. Senate and our own Senate rules, Rule 44, Section 123, confirm that all legislative and investigatory matters terminate with the expiration of a Congress.</p><p>&quot;This principle is affirmed internationally. Jefferson&#x27;s manual provides that unfinished business do not carry over into a new Congress. If we cannot conclude the trial before June 30, 2025, we must recognize this impeachment case is functionally dismissed by constitutional operation and no action can be taken by the 20th Congress on the matter for lack of constitutional authority,” Tolentino said.</p><p>Tolentino maintained that the Senate of each Congress under the 1987 Constitution is separate and independent from the Senate of the Congress before it.</p><p>&quot;Under the 1987 Constitution, the Senate of each Congress acts separately and independently of the Senate of the Congress before it. Only 12 senators remain after each election, insufficient to form a quorum. Thus, unlike the U.S. Senate or the Philippine Senate under the 1935 Constitution, we cannot carry unfinished proceedings into the next Congress,” he said.</p><p>Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros disagreed.</p><p>&quot;Mr. President, the 1987 Constitution demands that the Senate continue with the impeachment proceedings already initiated without further delay.The rulings of the Supreme Court make it clear that first, impeachment is a non-legislative function of the Senate, this is Chavez v. Judicial and Bar Council, G.R. No. 202242, 16 April 2013, and second that non-legislative functions of the Senate are not affected by the shift from 19th to 20th Congress. This is the case of Pimentel, Jr. v. Joint Committee of Congress, G.R. No. 163783, 22 June 2004,” she said.</p><p>&quot;It is true that the 19th Congress cannot bind the 20th Congress- and all unifinished business will be terminated. But this is only true for any work done by us in the exercise of our legislative functions,” Hontiveros said.</p><p>&quot;Napakahagalang mandato po ng Saligang Batas ito - klaro at walang kalabuan - once we receive the Articles of Impeachment- “trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed. Hahatulan tayo ng sambayanan kung hindi natin ginampanan ang tungkulin na ito sa sambayanan,” she added.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><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/jsjWbmngKvo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Senate chief said those who disagree with whatever the Senate decides can seek relief before the Supreme Court.</p>

The Senate chief said those who disagree with whatever the Senate decides can seek relief before the Supreme Court.

Chiz: ​End of 19th Congress to stall VP Sara impeachment, 20th Congress to decide what's next

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Chiz: ​End of 19th Congress to stall VP Sara impeachment, 20th Congress to decide what's next

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 02, 2025 03:50 PM PHT

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Updated Jun 02, 2025 05:45 PM PHT

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Chiz: End of 19th Congress to stall VP Sara impeachment, 20th Congress to decide what's next

Chiz: End of 19th Congress to stall VP Sara impeachment, 20th Congress to decide what's next