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Escudero: Impeachment court did not lose jurisdiction on impeachment case vs VP

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Senate impeachment court retained jurisdiction of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte even if it returned the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives.This was the response of Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, impeachment court presideing officer, on the argument of Duterte’s defense team that &quot;the Vice President cannot be compelled to answer allegations in Articles of Impeachment that had been ordered returned to its source.&quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/23/sara-duterte-pleads-impeachment-case-unconstitutional-1725">Duterte’s Answer Ad Cautelam — Latin for &quot;with caution&quot; — submitted to the impeachment court</a> also said, &quot;there are no Articles of Impeachment presently with this Court.&quot;In a press conference on Wednesday, Escudero said the impeachment court accepts her answer, but clarified that although they may have returned the complaint, it does not mean they lost jurisdiction.“Pakibasa na lang po yung order, nakalagay doon return without dismissing nor terminating the case,” he said.(Please read the order. It says &quot;return without dismissing nor terminating the case&quot;)He said the answer to the issue, which may be put to a vote during trial, is already in the impeachment court&#x27;s order. Attorney Antonio Bucoy, House prosecution panel spokesperson, has said they will file a motion for the impeachment court to set the pre-trial and trial dates after they submit their reply to Duterte’s answer.But Escudero said this cannot be done yet since prosecutors lose their authority as the 19th Congress ends at noon of June 30.That means the House will need to designate its prosecutors when the 20th Congress convenes on July 28.“Noon pa sinasabi na natin yan eh. Hindi naman puwedeng mag-trial na isang panig lang,” Escudero said. (We have been saying that for a long time. The trial cannot proceed with just one side) <div> <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/24/house-prosecution-sara-duterte-s-reply-relies-on-technical-issue-not-substance-1852">House prosecution on VP Duterte&#x27;s plea to dismiss impeachment case: Not the &#x27;bloodbath&#x27; we expect</a></div>He added even Bucoy&#x27;s designation as prosecution panel spokesperson expires with the 19th Congress. <div>RECONVENING THE COURT</div>The Senate impeachment court will resume in the 20th Congress once the House authorizes its prosecutors and submits a resolution stating that it will push through with the impeachment process.Only then will the court schedule trial dates, Escudero said.He noted that the court may also reconvene motu propio if a senator-judge cites the need to decide on a certain matter. The new senator-judges will take their oath once the court reconvenes.The court will then decide if the submissions of the House are compliant once they resume, including the certification that the Constitution, particularly the one-year bar rule, was not violated when the impeachment complaint was filed. The court will also tackle Duterte&#x27;s Answer Ad Cautelam.Escudero said Duterte’s camp must be the one to bring up her motion to dismiss the impeachment case.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/24/sara-duterte-calls-impeachment-case-scrap-of-paper-pleads-not-guilty-2321">Sara Duterte calls impeachment case &#x27;scrap of paper&#x27;, pleads not guilty</a></div>He also emphasized that nothing prevents any senator-judge from presenting a motion like moving to convict, for example. “Wala namang bawal na motion,” he said. “Always by simple majority yan.”(No motions are prohibited. These only need a simple majority)Escudero believes the impeachment trial will crossover to the 20th Congress, but maintained the 19th cannot bind the 20th.He said the impeachment court that will convene in the 20th Congress can &quot;reverse whatever decision was made by the previous Senate, by the previous impeachment court, by the previous Congress&quot;, modify it, or abandon it altogether.

The Senate impeachment court retained jurisdiction of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte even if it returned the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives.

The Senate impeachment court retained jurisdiction of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte even if it returned the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives.

Escudero: Impeachment court retains jurisdiction of Duterte impeachment case despite remand order

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Escudero: Impeachment court retains jurisdiction of Duterte impeachment case despite remand order

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 25, 2025 03:55 PM PHT

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