Senator-elect Kiko Pangilinan Speaks Thoughts on Senate as Impeachment Court
KIKO PANGILINAN – The incoming Senator asserted that the Senate impeachment court must go through the process before coming up with a decision.
Last February 5, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives. More than two-thirds of the House members voted for the removal of the Vice President from office and the impeachment was transmitted to the Senate.
The Senate President and the rest of the senators have taken their oath as the presiding officer and the senator judges, respectively. They also convened as an impeachment court but many people were surprised with the approved motion of the Senate.
The Senate impeachment court agreed to return the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte to the House with Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero saying it does not equate to a dismissal of the case. The senator judges wanted clarification over the constitutionality of the impeachment of the Vice President as well as a reconfirmation from the 20th Congress.
Eighteen (18) senator judges were in favor of the remand of the Articles of Impeachment to the House of Representatives. Only five (5) senator judges including the two-person opposition bloc voted against the motion.
No senator judge abstained from making a vote on the motion to remand Duterte’s impeachment to the House. Here are the lists of the senator judges who voted in favor and against the motion:
YES
- Alan Peter Cayetano
- Pia Cayetano
- Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa
- JV Ejercito
- Chiz Escudero
- Jinggoy Estrada
- Bong Go
- Lito Lapid
- Loren Legarda
- Imee Marcos
- Robin Padilla
- Bong Revilla
- Francis Tolentino
- Raffy Tulfo
- Joel Villanueva
- Cynthia Villar
- Mark Villar
- Juan Miguel Zubiri
NO
- Koko Pimentel
- Risa Hontiveros
- Sherwin Gatchalian
- Grace Poe
- Nancy Binay
Some senators and former senators reacted to the move of the Senate impeachment court. Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel and Sen. Risa Hontiveros stressed that there is no concept of return in the Constitution. Former Senate Pres. Tito Sotto stressed that senator judges must refrain from making a motion.
Former Senate Pres. Juan Ponce Enrile said that “forthwith” is clear in the Constitution, thus, the Senate should have acted with reasonable speed. However, amid the different opinions, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero stressed that there is no limit to what the impeachment court can or cannot decide.
With the 19th Congress having adjourned already, it is expected that a new set of senators will be joining as senator judges in the 20th Congress if the impeachment trial against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte pushes through. One of them is senator-elect Kiko Pangilinan.
Incoming Sen. Kiko Pangilinan has served several terms in the Senate already prior to his vice presidential loss in 2022. In the 2025 Midterm Senatorial Elections, he won 5th — a “come from behind win” as described by former Vice President and now Naga Mayor Leni Robredo, his ally.
Based on a report on PhilStar, with regards to the talks about the impeachment of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte and the Senate as an impeachment court, incoming Sen. Kiko Pangilinan expressed his belief on the role that the Senate impeachment court must perform. He also stressed that it is only after the trial that the court should make a decision.
“Our job is to try and decide the case. If there is not enough evidence, acquittal. If there is enough evidence, conviction. We have to go through the process before we decide,” he said.
Senator-elect Kiko Pangilinan believes that the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte can be carried on to the 20th Congress citing that the Senate is a “continuing body”. Based on the report, he refused to comment further on the case citing until he assumes office.
Previously, amid the different opinions, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero asserted that both the House of Representatives and Vice Pres. Sara Duterte must respect the decision of the impeachment court.