Jamaine Punzalan

House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senate President Chiz Escudero. Yummie Dingding, PPA Pool/File

Article (news)

MARCOS-EDUCATION

<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/175368016913220240603-marcos-kabalikat-pagtuturo-PPA-18.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senate President Chiz Escudero. Yummie Dingding, PPA Pool/File </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Senate President Francis &quot;Chiz&quot; Escudero and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez kept the leadership of the two chambers as the 20th Congress opened on Monday in the shadow of<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/25/supreme-court-duterte-impeachment-articles-unconstitutional-1601"> Vice President Sara Duterte’s blocked impeachment trial.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/28/chiz-escudero-keeps-senate-presidency-1043">Escudero was elected Senate president for a second term</a> with the backing of 19 senators, against Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III’s 5 votes. </p><p>Sen. Joel Villanueva, who nominated Escudero, said he “guided the Senate in the right direction” when it was “under attack because of conflicting views on impeachment.” </p><p>&quot;At sa inalabas na desisyon ng Korte Supreme tungkol sa impeachment, ang tanong: Hindi pa po ba klaro na tama ang landas kung saan dinala ni Senator Escudero ang buong Senado?  Hindi po tayo nagmadali, hindi rin naman natin inupuan ang impeachment subalit sa isangsama-samang desisyong binigyang-gabay ng ating SP, napanatili natin ang ‘moral high ground’ ng Senado,&quot; Villanueva added. </p><p>The Senate briefly convened an impeachment court last month, only to <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/10/senate-returns-sara-duterte-impeachment-to-house-insists-case-not-junked-2111">send the case back to the House of Representatives hours later,</a> questioning its constitutionality.</p><p>Just days before the Senate opened its new session with the vice president&#x27;s political future hanging in the balance, the Supreme Court on Friday blocked Duterte&#x27;s impeachment trial, saying it violated a constitutional provision against multiple impeachment proceedings within a single year. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/25/supreme-court-duterte-impeachment-articles-unconstitutional-1601">Supreme Court blocks VP Sara Duterte&#x27;s impeachment trial</a></div><p>Duterte’s defense team had argued that a trio of earlier complaints logged against her in the House -- but voted on only at the committee level -- had constituted impeachment proceedings.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/25/house-vows-to-protect-independence-amid-sc-ruling-on-sara-impeachment-case-2042">House vows to protect independence amid SC ruling on Sara Duterte impeachment</a></div><p><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/28/romualdez-remains-house-speaker-for-20th-congress-1235">Romualdez, who is staying as House speaker</a> with the backing of 269 colleagues and 34 others abstaining, maintained that “the power to initiate impeachment is the exclusive domain of this Chamber.”</p><p>“It flows from the people’s will and rests solely on the clear language of the Constitution. It is neither granted nor guided by any outside institution. The Court may close a case, but it cannot close a cause. The pursuit of accountability is not a moment — it is a mandate,” Romualdez said in his speakership acceptance speech. </p><p>“We are not moved by personalities, but by principles. We are not driven by vendetta, but by vigilance. Our goal has never been to destroy — only to demand the truth,” he added. </p><p>Romualdez said that as Speaker, “I will be here — not just to preside, but to protect.” </p><p>“When institutions falter, the House of the People always stands firm. When others fear the storm, your House holds the line,” he said.</p><p>The House of Representatives on Sunday said it <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/27/house-to-seek-reversal-of-sc-ruling-on-vp-sara-impeachment-1336">will file a motion for reconsideration </a>before the Supreme Court on its ruling that the fourth impeachment complaint filed against Duterte was unconstitutional.</p><p>Meanwhile, Escudero urged his colleagues to “speak not to score political points, but to make a point and to debate, not to destroy each other, but to build the nation together.”</p><p>“Because at the end of the day, we must work together to find common ground and common cause—to find common solutions to our common problems. Hiling at Panawagan ko sa mga kapwa ko Senador: magtrabaho tayo sa kabila ng ingay ng pulitika. Dahil lahat tayo, nasa iisang bangka,” he said. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong> <iframe width="1250" height="703" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zsZ1T0hsLvA" title="LIVE: State of the Nation Address 2025 | ANC Special Coverage" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Senate President Francis Escudero and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez kept the leadership of the two chambers as the 20th Congress opened on Monday in the shadow of Vice President Sara Duterte’s stalled impeachment trial.</p>

Senate President Francis Escudero and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez kept the leadership of the two chambers as the 20th Congress opened on Monday in the shadow of Vice President Sara Duterte’s stalled impeachment trial.

Escudero, Romualdez retain top Senate, House posts

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Escudero, Romualdez retain top Senate, House posts

Jamaine Punzalan

Published July 28, 2025 01:27 PM PHT

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Updated August 05, 2025 04:12 PM PHT

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