LOOK: Protesters urge Senate to start Duterte impeachment trial
Protesters gather in front of the Senate ahead of the plenary hearing on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. — Zacarian Sarao/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Even amid overcast skies and rain, protesters continued to gather in front of the Senate building in an attempt to pressure its leadership to immediately convene the impeachment court against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Protesters led by various groups including Akbayan Party, Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Partylist and August Twenty-One Movement gathered in front of the Senate ahead of the plenary hearing on Tuesday afternoon.
Zacarian Sarao/INQUIRER.net
READ: Sara Duterte impeachment: What you need to know
This protest marks the second of a series of mass actions calling on the Senate to fulfill its constitutional duty to immediately convene the impeachment court and initiate the trial against Duterte.
“Impeachment trial ngayon na, konstitusyon ipatupad! Sara Duterte, litisin! Litisin!” protesters chanted, calling on the senators to implement the Constitution and put Duterte on trial.
“Chiz Escudero, igalaw ang baso (move the glass)!” they shouted.
Zacarian Sarao/INQUIRER.net
Akbayan Party president Rafaela David during the protest accused the upper chamber of employing delaying tactics, pointing out the Senate’s refusal to convene the impeachment court even after Senate president Francis “Chiz” Escudero took his oath as the court’s presiding officer.
“‘Doesn’t taking the oath mean that you are now a judge in the impeachment court? So the court should automatically be convened?” said David in Filipino.
“This means they are tumbling around and making excuses not to convene,” she added.
She reminded the Senate that under the Constitution, initiating the impeachment trial is their obligation.
Zacarian Sarao/INQUIRER.net
With this, David and the protesters declared that they will not let the 19th Congress ignore Duterte’s impeachment, vowing to do all they can to pressure the Senate into convening the impeachment court and officially initiate Duterte’s trial.
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives by an overwhelming 215 votes last February 5. The verified complaint was sent to the Senate on the same day, but her case remained pending in the 19th Congress. /das
