Camille Naredo

Members of the House of Representatives gather at Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City for the scheduled plenary discussion of the Articles of Impeachment filed against Vice President  Sara Duterte on May 11, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Members of the House of Representatives gather at Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City for the scheduled plenary discussion of the Articles of Impeachment filed against Vice President  Sara Duterte on May 11, 2026.   Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

VP SARA IMPEACHMENT

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178151038981620260511-vp-sara-impeachment-plenary-JC3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Members of the House of Representatives gather at Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City for the scheduled plenary discussion of the Articles of Impeachment filed against Vice President  Sara Duterte on May 11, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Members of the House of Representatives gather at Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City for the scheduled plenary discussion of the Articles of Impeachment filed against Vice President  Sara Duterte on May 11, 2026. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) -- Leaders of the lower chamber welcomed the President&#x27;s call for a special session of Congress on June 17th, with some expressing hope it will be an opportunity for the upper chamber to settle its leadership issue.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/15/marcos-orders-congress-to-hold-special-session-on-june-17-1215">READ: Marcos calls for Congress special session on June 17</a></div><p>House Speaker Faustino &quot;Bojie&quot; G. Dy III said the House of Representatives &quot;stands ready to heed the President&#x27;s call and continue advancing legislation that directly responds to the needs of our people.&quot; </p><p>&quot;The House has already laid much of the groundwork for these priority reforms. We stand ready to work with the Senate and the Executive Branch to complete the legislative process and deliver meaningful benefits to the Filipino people,&quot; he added in a statement.</p><p>&quot;The work of the House does not end with the passage of bills. Our responsibility is to help ensure that these measures become law and ultimately translate into better lives, better opportunities, and a more secure future for our people,&quot; Dy noted.</p><p>House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, for his part, said the President&#x27;s call &quot;underscores the urgency of legislation that expands educational opportunities, strengthens assistance programs for vulnerable sectors, improves healthcare services, and promotes greater social protection.&quot;</p><p>&quot;We welcome the opportunity to continue the work already undertaken by the House and move these priority measures closer to enactment,&quot; he added.</p><p>&quot;The House has demonstrated its readiness to act decisively on important reforms. We look forward to working with our colleagues in the Senate and our partners in the Executive Branch to complete these measures and deliver real, lasting benefits to the Filipino people,&quot; Rep. Marcos noted.</p><p>The President called for a special session for urgent action on priority legislation aimed at strengthening social protection, according to Malacanang.</p><p>House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong said the House of Representatives has already passed on third and final reading more than half of the LEDAC priorities.</p><p>&quot;Out of the 50 LEDAC priorities, we were able to pass on third and final reading 20 plus, 26... If Malacañang requests for a special session, we anticipate and we welcome that,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SENATE LEADERSHIP ISSUE</strong></div><p>Adiong, as well as House Committee on Justice Chairperson and Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro, acknowledged that the matter of Senate leadership is the upper chamber&#x27;s prerogative.</p><p>But they hope senators will be able to elect a Senate President during the special session.</p><p>&quot;If you ask us doon sa Senate leadership issue, that&#x27;s entirely for the Senate to decide. But we anticipate that they should take that opportunity to finally settle the issue on leadership,&quot; Adiong said.</p><p>&quot;We cannot meddle on the issues of their leadership, but we&#x27;re hoping and praying that they will be able to fix it on the occasion of this special session,&quot; Luistro also said.</p><p>Luistro, who has been designated Lead House Impeachment Prosecutor, expressed concern that should the impeachment trial be conducted without a duly elected Senate President, the matter may be questioned by the defense before the Supreme Court.</p><p>&quot;We are apprehensive that we might encounter another Constitutional issue, because we will be starting the trial and there is no duly elected Senate President.  That is, of course, while we recognize the leadership of elected Senate President pro tempore and Acting Senate President Win Gatchalian.  Sana ma-address na ‘yun, para wala ng apprehension ang House about another possible constitutional issue to be raised in the Supreme Court,&quot; she explained.</p><p>&quot;While we duly recognize the legitimacy of the current leadership, because of the sanctity, solemnity and sensitivity of this impeachment trial, it is best that we address the need of electing a Senate President before we actually start. </p><p>&quot;Nakita n&#x27;yo naman, dito pa lang sa House of Representatives, they raise as an issue the referral from Plenary to Justice Committee. They even raised the violation of the one-year bar rule… So what else will they not elevate to the Supreme Court? Kung ito dinadala nila sa Supreme Court, we have anticipation, we have basis to believe that even the irregularity in the leadership may be considered by the defense in elevating another constitutional question before the Supreme Court,&quot; Luistro added.</p><p>Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc believe the call for a special session &quot;is about the Senate leadership change more than any legislative measure&quot;. </p><p>&quot;Any leadership change should not be an occasion to get off the hook senators, who face corruption charges. We likewise warn the public on the passage of the watered-down anti-dynasty bill which is actually a bill legitimizing dynasties,&quot; they said in a joint statement.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Some leaders of the lower chamber welcomed the President’s call for a special session of Congress on June 17th, as they expressed hope it will be an opportunity for the upper chamber to settle its leadership issue.</p>

Some leaders of the lower chamber welcomed the President’s call for a special session of Congress on June 17th, as they expressed hope it will be an opportunity for the upper chamber to settle its leadership issue.

House leaders hope Senate will resolve its leadership issue during special session

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House leaders hope Senate will resolve its leadership issue during special session

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 15, 2026 04:03 PM PHT

|

Updated June 15, 2026 04:44 PM PHT

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House of Representatives

Philippine Senate

special session

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

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