Pimentel-led panel to decide fate of reso halting Sara Duterte trial

Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — The fate of the resolution seeking to terminate the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte now rests with the Senate’s justice panel, headed by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

READ: Robin Padilla files resolution seeking to terminate Sara Duterte trial

In an ambush interview on Tuesday, Senate President Francis Escudero was pressed to reveal how the Senate would act on the resolution filed by Sen. Robinhood Padilla, with only two session days remaining in the 19th Congress.

Escudero explained that the resolution must first be referred to the appropriate committee before it can be deliberated.

READ: Pimentel moves for convening of Senate impeachment court

“It needs to undergo a process. It needs to be referred to the committee. But how can we vote upon it, and how would the committee report on it? All impeachment resolutions need to be referred to the committee on justice based on our committee on rules,” Escudero told reporters.

He explained that once the resolution is referred, it would be up to the chairman of the committee on justice to decide how to act on it.

“Once it gets referred, the question remains: How would the committee on justice act if there are only two days left? Ask the chairman of the committee on justice,” he added.

Now that the resolution rests with the justice panel, has it effectively been rendered moot?

Escudero declined to speculate on what actions the committee chairperson might take.

The Senate committee on justice is currently chaired by Pimentel, who assumed the position in August 2024, succeeding Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino.

The Inquirer has contacted Pimentel to ask how his panel intends to act on the resolution should it be referred to them, but he has yet to respond as of this writing.

On Monday, Pimentel and Deputy Minority Leader Senator Risa Hontiveros formally called for the convening of the impeachment court to try Duterte.

They insisted that the Senate has to immediately act on the Articles of Impeachment.

Pimentel specifically made the following motions:

• That the Senate’s legislative business be suspended;
• That the Senate has already convened as the impeachment court at this very moment;
• That the Senate president immediately take his oath as presiding officer of the impeachment court;
• That thereafter, the Senate president-presiding officer, administers the oath or affirmation to all the members of the Senate now present;
• That the impeachment court then call the impeachment case against Duterte and come up with a calendar for the trial thereof;
• That on June 10, 2025 at 2 pm, the impeachment court will call the impeachment case for the presentation and reading of the Articles of Impeachment by the panel of prosecutors of the House of Representatives; and
• That thereafter, the writ of summons be issued to the impeached officer.

After hours of deliberation during Monday’s plenary session, the senators reached a “compromise.” Contrary to the minority bloc’s motion, only Escudero took his oath as presiding officer of the impeachment court.

As agreed, senator-judges are set to take their oaths on June 10 at 4 p.m., and the Senate will convene as an impeachment court on Wednesday, June 11, as originally scheduled./mcm/abc