Trial Must Go On: House Prosecutors Reject Senate Delay in Sara Duterte Impeachment
SARA DUTERTE – The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is moving forward, with House prosecutors insisting that “no one can stop” the proceedings.
Despite the Senate’s decision to send the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte back to the House of Representatives shortly after forming as an impeachment court, House prosecutors remained firm on Wednesday that the trial will continue. They maintained that the proceedings had already reached an irreversible stage and announced plans to request clarification on what they referred to as “confusing” directives from the Senate.
The Vice President was formally impeached in early February on allegations of corruption, graft, and supposed involvement in a plot to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., her former political partner. If found guilty, Duterte would not only be ousted from office but would also face a lifetime ban from holding any government position.
“No one can stop this anymore, because jurisdiction has been acquired already by the impeachment court,” said Representative Gerville Luistro. She noted that the Senate had already served Duterte a summons late Wednesday night, signifying the court had taken control of the matter. “There will be no… withdrawal (of the impeachment case) by the House. That is not allowed by the constitution.”
On Tuesday evening, the Senate voted 18-5 to ask the House to confirm that it had followed constitutional rules, especially regarding the initial three impeachment complaints. The 1987 Constitution prohibits an official from facing more than one impeachment proceeding in the same year.
Representative Ysabel Maria Zamora explained that the final complaint had “consolidated all the articles” from the earlier complaints into a single document. That same night, the House approved a resolution asserting that the impeachment process, including the earlier filings, complied with constitutional requirements.
However, the Senate also asked the House to guarantee that the case would continue after June 30, when a new Congress is seated. Prosecutors rejected this demand, explaining that they cannot make assurances on behalf of future lawmakers.
Meanwhile, outside the Senate building, hundreds of protesters assembled on Wednesday, voicing support for the continuation of the trial and calling on senators to act. Former senator and lawyer Leila de Lima suggested that political self-interest may be shaping the Senate’s actions. “Loyalty, friendship, political survival. Maybe they are thinking the Dutertes are very much around even if the patriarch (ex-president Rodrigo Duterte) is in The Hague,” she said in an interview with AFP.
According to the report, Congresswoman France Castro shared a similar view, saying senators might be trying to protect their political interests. When asked if the Senate was intentionally delaying the trial, Representative Keith Flores replied, “I cannot speak for everyone but for me, yes.”
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