Escudero: House has no power to defy impeachment court’s orders

Senate President Francis Escudero answers a question during a press conference at the Senate building in Pasay City on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. — Photo by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has no power to defy the Senate impeachment court’s orders.

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This was disclosed by Senate President Francis Escudero in a press conference on Wednesday, maintaining that the Senate and House are not co-equals in terms of impeachment talks.

“We are not equals when it comes to this. This is not the House and Senate where we are co-equal. In terms of impeachment, the Senate is a court and the House is prosecutor,” Escudero said in Filipino.

“The House is in no place to defy the orders of the impeachment court. This is not a bicam where we need to agree. This is the order of the impeachment court directed to the prosecutor, who is only a party to the case. The party and the Court are not equal,” he emphasized.

In an unexpected turn of events, the senator-judges took their oath and subsequently agreed to convene as an impeachment court on June 10.

This is ahead of the initial schedule agreed upon by senators at the plenary on Monday, which sets the convening date on June 11.

The chamber initially convened as an impeachment court to decide on the motion made by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, which seeks to dismiss the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.

But hours after their deliberation, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano made a motion to amend his colleagues’ motion.

Instead of dismissing the case, Cayetano insisted that it would be better to return it to the lower chamber.

“Why will remanding be in the interest of justice and consistent with our oath of political neutrality? Because if this happens, the articles of impeachment will be brought back to the House. We will ask them to certify that they did not violate the one impeachment per year rule,” said Cayetano.

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Cayetano’s motion seeks that the articles of impeachment be returned to the House of Representatives, without dismissing or terminating the case, until such time that:

• The House of Representatives certifies the non-violation of Article XI, Section 3, paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which provides that “No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year”; including the circumstances on the filing of the first three impeachment complaints;
• The House of Representatives of the 20th Congress communicates to the Senate that it is willing and ready to pursue the impeachment complaint against the Vice President.

Cayetano’s motion prevailed in the court with 18 affirmative votes, 5 negative, and zero abstentions. /das