Dela Rosa to CBCP on ‘delay’ in impeachment trial: ‘No need to panic’

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (NOY MORCOSO / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA,  Philippines—Sen. Ronaldo “Bato” Dela Rosa assuaged on Wednesday the concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) over the alleged delay of the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.

“Are they concerned? Why are they concerned? What are they concerned about? Are they concerned because it was delayed?” dela Rosa asked in a press briefing in the Senate.

“There’s no cause for panic,” he added.

In a statement on Tuesday, the CBCP said they are “disturbed by the delay in the Senate in executing the constitutional demand for the impeachment process of the Vice President.”

It has been almost a month now since the Senate convened as an impeachment court to try the case against Duterte.

Shortly after the convening, dela Rosa moved for the dismissal of the case but this was later amended by Sen. Alan Cayetano, who instead moved to return to the House of Representatives the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte “without dismissing  nor terminating the case.”

In returning the case, the Senate impeachment court also directed the House of the 19th Congress to certify that it did not violate the one-year ban on filing impeachment complaints.

The court also required the House of the 20th Congress to state that it would pursue the case against Duterte.

Only the first requirement was so far fulfilled by the previous House membership.

But when the 20th Congress opens on July 28,  dela Rosa said he plans to ask the new Senate whether it is also willing to bind itself to the actions taken by the previous Congress.

“You can expect me also to raise the same question on the floor once the 20th Congress convenes,” he noted.

“I’ll also ask the same question we asked the House of Representatives. Why not ask ourselves too? It’s the same situation, so let’s also ask the Senate of the 20th Congress whether they’re willing to be bound by the actions of the previous Senate of the 19th Congress,” the senator added.

Jurisdiction, he said, must be established first by the new Senate, and not by the impeachment court which will now have new senator-judges.

“We are talking about new composition ng Senado so I am asking the Senate, not the impeachment court,” he explained. /apl

NOTE: The English translations in the article were AI-generated.