Dela Rosa’s dismissal move prompts convening of Senate impeachment court

Senate President Francis Escudero takes oath as the presiding officer of the impeachment court on June 9, 2025. — Photo from Senate

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate on Tuesday convened as an impeachment court,  prompted by a motion to dismiss the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.

READ: Dela Rosa moves for dismissal of impeachment case vs Sara Duterte

All 23 senators, except Sens. Robin Padilla, Imee Marcos, and Cynthia Villar, were all wearing their impeachment robes when they returned to the Senate session hall after a heated debate on Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s motion to dismiss the case against Duterte.

“Pursuant to Article 11, Section Paragraph 4 and 6 of the Constitution, the Senate is now constituted and convened as an impeachment court and the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte is hereby declared open and called to order,” Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said.

When he was about to administer the oath of senator-judges, Marcos manifested that she would be taking his oath “ad cautelam (with caution) without prejudice to the resolution of the jurisdictional issue as well as issues pertaining to the validity of the impeachment complaint or to the filing thereof if any.”

Padilla also put on record that he was taking his oath with reservations.

Escudero noted their manifestations and proceeded to administer the oath to 22 senators as judges in the impeachment trial of Duterte, followed by the adoption of the rules of the impeachment court.

The presiding officer then proceeded to administer the oath of 22 senators as judges in the impeachment trial of Duterte, followed by the adoption of rules of the impeachment court.

Immediately after adopting the rules, the court tackled Dela Rosa’s motion, seeking the dismissal of the case against Duterte when he delivered a privilege speech during the Senate’s regular session.

In his speech, Dela Rosa accused the House of Representatives of circumventing the Constitution with its alleged “intentional inaction” on the first three impeachment complaints lodged against Duterte in December 2024.

It was the fourth impeachment case against the Vice President that was transmitted to the Senate for trial on February 5.

But Sen. Joel Villanueva objected to Dela Rosa’s motion, noting that the Senate was not yet convened as an impeachment court at that time.

“And therefore Mr. President, this representation believes that we have no constitutional authority as a legislative body to dismiss an impeachment complaint,” Villanueva said.

This later prompted Escudero to rule on Dela Rosa’s motion.

“The chair hereby rules that in order to act on the motion of Senator Bato, we should first convene as an impeachment court …” the Senate chief said,

“The chair will suspend session in order allow the members to kindly don your impeachment robes so that the chair can subscribe the oath to the members of the impeachment court so that we can convene the impeachment court…” he added.

Escudero earlier set the convening of the impeachment court on Wednesday, Juen 11, the last day of session before the 19th Congress ends on June 30.  /jpv /das