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Members of the Senate of the Philippines, led by Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 convene as an impeachment court to try the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. Joseph B. Vidal, OSP/Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate Social Media Unit/File

Members of the Senate of the Philippines, led by Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 convene as an impeachment court to try the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

 Joseph B. Vidal, OSP/Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate Social Media Unit)

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PH SENATE- VP Sara IMPEACHMENT CASE

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><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/175265374711920250611-senate-vp-sara-impeachment-SPRIB3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Members of the Senate of the Philippines, led by Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 convene as an impeachment court to try the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. <em>Joseph B. Vidal, OSP/Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate Social Media Unit/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — There is an emerging consensus among some senators to convene the impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on August 4 — a week after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.&#x27;s 4th State of the Nation Address on July 28, Sen. Joel Villanueva said Wednesday.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/16/hontiveros-senate-has-numbers-to-proceed-with-vp-sara-impeachment-trial-1614">Hontiveros: Senate has numbers to proceed with VP Sara impeachment trial</a></div><p>&quot;Banggitin ko na rin po, yung mga pag-uusap na nangyayari itong mga nakaraang araw with regard to the impeachment court, ang direction po ng ilan sa mga senator judges ay yun nga po magsumpa na yung ating mga bagong senator judges and at the same time, i-convene ang impeachment court,&quot; Villanueva told the Kapihan sa Manila Bay on Wednesday.</p><p>&quot;It looks like we are just going to wait for one week to organize ourselves as a Senate, yung mga committees, etc., leadership, at ang House, ganun din po, and then the week after, we can convene the impeachment court and have the defense and the prosecution present their cases,&quot; he said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/14/sc-order-to-congress-should-not-delay-vp-sara-impeachment-trial-lawmakers-1611">SC order to Congress should not delay VP Sara impeachment trial: lawmakers</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>AUGUST 4 DATE IS FROM INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><p><strong></strong>Setting August 4 as the convening of the impeachment court under the 20th Congress will give both chambers of Congress enough time to organize themselves, Villanueva said.</p><p>&quot;Come August 4, we&#x27;ll be able to convene the impeachment court, maka-take ng oath &#x27;yung mga bagong senator-judges, and at the same time, magharap na &#x27;yung prosecutors at defense team ni VP Sara,&quot; he said.<strong></strong></p><p>Villanueva, however, added that these are<strong> </strong>informal discussions<strong>.</strong></p><p>Villanueva said the winners of Halalan 2025 will have to be sworn in as senator-judges, including those who were reelected from the 19th Congress, as their previous term expired.</p><p>&quot;Again, it depends kung someone can rise the day after, which is 29, and say we wanted to take our oath or someone would suggest and if they would agree, we can convene the court. We can convene the court and ask for the senator-judges to take their oaths,&quot; he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/16/diokno-survey-results-eye-opener-that-public-wants-vp-sara-impeach-trial-to-start-1550">Diokno: Survey results ‘eye opener’ that public wants VP Sara impeach trial to start</a></div><p>Villanueva said the court may tackle how to proceed depending on the House of Representatives&#x27; compliance with the Senate Impeachment Court&#x27;s directive for it to certify that it is interested in pursuing the impeachment in the 20th Congress.</p><p>&quot;That&#x27;s one of the issues we talked about but at the same time, again, let me if I&#x27;m not very clear, let me correct myself by saying na yan po yung napag-uusapan at wala pa pong final decision as to whether or not we will convene but it looks like maganda yung pag-uusap and most of the senators, if not all of the senators I talked to, parang agree din sila doon sa proposal na iyon. And the Senate President has been asking the senator judges about this particular move,&quot; he said.</p><p>Villanueva believes the House will be able to comply.</p><p>&quot;Ako tingin ko po kasi you have two session days after SONA, makakapag-elect ng leadership ang both houses, makakapag-elect most probably ng mga major committees, and I think the House of Reps are aware of the impeachment court&#x27;s order, and at the same time, the Supreme Court&#x27;s resolution. So, I think makaka-comply sila doon,&quot; he said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/8/sws-most-pinoys-disagree-with-impeachment-complaint-vs-sara-duterte-1817">SWS: 4 in 10 disagree with impeachment complaint vs Sara Duterte</a></div><p>Villanueva said the Senate Impeachment Court may proceed regardless of the pendency of petitions before the Supreme Court assailing the impeachment.</p><p>Senate Impeachment Court Spokesperson Regie Tongol, for his part, revealed that the Senate has filed its compliance with the Supreme Court&#x27;s order of July 8 seeking information on the impeachment complaints. </p><p>Tongol explained that the Senate does not have the information the Court seeks because that pertains to the House of Representatives.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>VILLANUEVA AGAINST OUTRIGHT DISMISSAL</strong></div><p>Villanueva is in favor of having the trial proceed and is against an outright dismissal before the evidence has been heard.</p><p>&quot;I will go by my position since day one. I have mentioned several times yung article
11 that inherent to the Senate, yung trial. Talagang kailangan mag-trial. For me, when you define trial, yun, makaharap namin ang depensa at prosecution at ma-ipresent nila yung kanilang both cases and at the same time, from there para sa akin, as time goes by, importante na maintindihan namin pareho as senator judges yung dalawang panig at makapag-decision kami. So, for me, trial, trial pa rin,&quot; he said.</p><p>Villanueva however recognized that a move to dismiss the impeachment case could still be raised.</p><p>&quot;Anything kasi is possible. I have to say that with all humility. Because at the end of the day, it&#x27;s sui generis an impeachment court,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;Ang aking posisyon naman po is that I adhere to the constitutional provision ng Article 11 na kailangan mag-trial,&quot; said Villanueva.</p><p>&quot;That&#x27;s why I&#x27;m looking forward really hopefully on August 4 for the prosecutors and the defense team of the vice president.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></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/Ah7JXwijMyI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>There is an emerging consensus among some senators to convene the impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on August 4 — a week after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s 4th State of the Nation Address on July 28, Sen. Joel Villanueva said Wednesday.</p>

There is an emerging consensus among some senators to convene the impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on August 4 — a week after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s 4th State of the Nation Address on July 28, Sen. Joel Villanueva said Wednesday.

Villanueva: Some senators eyeing convening impeachment court on August 4

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Villanueva: Some senators eyeing convening impeachment court on August 4

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 16, 2025 05:37 PM PHT

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Updated Jul 31, 2025 06:24 PM PHT

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