Comply before complaining, impeachment court spox tells prosecutors
Senate Impeachment Court spokesperson Atty. Regie Tongol holds a press conference on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at the Senate in Pasay City. (Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net)
MANILA, Philippines— Comply before complaining, the spokesman of the impeachment court on Wednesday advised the House of Representatives’ panel of prosecutors in the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte.
It has been eight days already since the Senate impeachment court ordered the prosecutors to certify that the House did not violate the one-year ban on filing impeachment complaints and that the House of the 20th Congress will pursue the case against Duterte.
“It’s up to them whether to comply or not. But again this is the order of the court, and any lawyer worth his salt and any litigant for that matter should comply first before you complain,” the impeachment court’s spokesman, lawyer Reginald Tongol, said in a press briefing.
Tongol was asked about prosecution spokesperson Atty. Antonio Audie Bucoy’s statement that there was no longer need for the 20th Congress to make such a commitment as the House already fulfilled its constitutional duty to transmit to the Senate the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.
The House impeached Duterte on February 5 and immediately transmitted the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate on the same day.
For lack of time, however, the Senate went on a four-month break without tackling the impeachment case against the vice president,
It was only last June 10 that the Senate convened as an impeachment court.
Unlike the House of Representstives, however, Tongol said that the Senate has already prepared, noting the prosecutors’ refusal to receive the ordinary notice of appearance of the defense team before the impeachment court.
“If they were truly ready, they should have received it. There should have been an office designated to receive it. So it seems that it wasn’t the impeachment court that was unprepared,” Tongol said in Filipino.
Tongol would not also let Bucoy’s criticisms of the Senate impeachment court pass, particularly over its decision to return the Articles of Impeachment to the House of Representatives.
According to Bucoy, the previous Senates would be ashamed of how the current composition of the chamber is acting .
“I’m calling a spade a spade: Their Senate simply had a very different composition and they elicited respect and were no-nonsense leaders,” the prosecution spokesman said.
Tongol questioned the prosecution’s motive in criticizing the impeachment court.
“You might not agree with the actions of the court but it’s still the court that has been vested by Constitution with the power to solely try and decide impeachment cases,” he said.
“Right there, we should already show respect and not undermine the credibility of the court. So what is their motive in criticizing the court?”
Instead of criticizing the court, Tongol advised the prosecutors to just spend their energy on their real enemy.
“Their opponent is the other party — the defense. As they themselves said, the defense team is composed of formidable and respected lawyers, so they should prepare for that and direct their efforts toward them, not against the impeachment court.”
