Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Jaehwa Bernardo

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte called Senate President Chiz Escudero &#x27;unafraid,&#x27; dismissing claims that the Senate is stalling her impeachment proceedings out of fear. But she also questioned the possibility that her impeachment trial would be carried over from the 19th Congress to the 20th Congress.&quot;Sa pagkakakilala ko naman kay Senate President Chiz Escudero ay hindi natatakot &#x27;yon,&quot; Duterte said Tuesday in an interview in The Hague, Netherlands, where her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte was being held in custody by the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity.&quot;I do not know him na natatakot na klase na politiko. So hindi ko lang alam saan nanggagaling yung sinasabi na takot si Senator Chiz Escudero,&quot; the Vice President added.Akbayan Party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña earlier questioned whether the Senate leadership was afraid of or protecting Duterte over the delay in the impeachment proceedings, following the Senate&#x27;s decision to move the start of the impeachment proceedings from June 2 to June 11.Escudero had also dismissed such accusations.The Senate is set to vote on June 11 — the last day of the 19th Congress — on whether or not they should tackle Duterte’s impeachment trial in the 20th Congress, which starts next month.In the same interview, Duterte said her team was questioning the potential crossover of the impeachment trail. &quot;Kine-question din namin &#x27;yan, &#x27;yong pag-cross over from the 19th to the 20th Congress dahil ang composition ng House of Representatives...&quot; Sara said before trailing off, adding that her lawyers would address the matter.“‘Yung lawyers ko na lang ang magsalita dahil papagalitan na naman ako ng lawyers ko,” she said.The Vice President clarified that she was not able to closely monitor developments in the House and the Senate over her pending impeachment trial due to the time difference between Manila and the Hague.“Hindi ko po nasusundan yung mga nasusundan sa nangyayari sa Pilipinas kasi magkaiba yung timezone… pero ang pagkakaintindi ko, maraming procedural lapses na labag sa konstitusyon,” she said.Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in February for &quot;high crimes&quot; including corruption and an alleged assassination plot against former ally and running mate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. She denied any irregularity in her office&#x27;s use of confidential funds and said her remarks on Marcos were taken out of context.The Vice President needs nine votes from the full 24-seat Senate for an acquittal. Losing would mean her removal and a permanent ban from public office.Escudero on Monday defended his decision to postpone the reading of impeachment articles against Duterte, which would have set in motion the impeachment proceedings, arguing that it did not favor either the prosecution or defendant. He parried off accusations that the Senate is either afraid of or is protecting Duterte by delaying her impeachment trial. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/3/scared-of-sara-or-protecting-sara-chiz-answers-1737">READ: Scared of Sara or protecting Sara? Chiz answers</a></div>&quot;Ginagawa namin kung ano ang trabaho namin... Uulitin ko dun sa mga ayaw kay VP Sara at pabor sa impeachment, dun sa mga gusto kay VP Sara at tutol sa impeachment – walang bale sa kin un, susundin ko kung ano ang tama at nakalagay sa batas sinuman ang mapaboran, sino man ang tamaan,&quot; Escudero said.The Senate President explained that from the start, the current Senate could only go as far as issue summons, and the trial was always projected to begin in the 20th Congress.&quot;Ang pinakamalayo nang mararating ng Senado ay ang mag-issue ng summons, dahil merong 10 araw para magsumite ng sagot ang nasasakdal at pagdating ng June 30, mawawalan na ng bisa ang awtoridad ang mga prosecutors,&quot; he said.<div> </div><div>HAGUE VISIT</div><div> </div>During her visit to The Hague, Vice President Duterte was able to see her father and update him on his case, the recently concluded midterm elections, and their family.As she prepares to return to the Philippines, she said she would also work on securing an interim release for her father.&quot;Ngayon ay mayroon provision sa Rome Statute, &#x27;yong interim release na tinatrabaho din,&quot; the Vice President said.&quot;And then one of the discussions as well was... to go through the Dutch laws,&quot; she said. &quot;Sabi ko I can do that while I&#x27;m back in the Philippines na online na lang &#x27;yong pag-aasikaso.&quot;The elder Duterte&#x27;s detention in The Hague is linked to allegations of crimes against humanity stemming from the bloody anti-illegal drug crackdown carried out during his administration.

Vice President Sara Duterte called Senate President Chiz Escudero 'unafraid,' dismissing claims that the Senate is stalling her impeachment proceedings out of fear. But she also questioned the possibility that her impeachment trial would be carried over from the 19th Congress to the 20th Congress.

Vice President Sara Duterte called Senate President Chiz Escudero 'unafraid,' dismissing claims that the Senate is stalling her impeachment proceedings out of fear. But she also questioned the possibility that her impeachment trial would be carried over from the 19th Congress to the 20th Congress.

Sara Duterte denies Escudero is afraid of her, questions impeachment crossover to 20th Congress

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Sara Duterte denies Escudero is afraid of her, questions impeachment crossover to 20th Congress

Jaehwa Bernardo,

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 04, 2025 09:47 AM PHT

|

Updated Jun 04, 2025 10:51 AM PHT

Read More:

politics

Sara Duterte

impeachment

Chiz Escudero

Francis Escudero

Senate

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