MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis Escudero on Thursday reminded the House of Representatives to respect the authority of the Senate acting as an impeachment court, after Speaker Martin Romualdez raised concerns over the Senate’s decision to return the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Speaking to reporters, Escudero stressed the need for both the House prosecutors and the Vice President to comply with the court’s summons and rulings.
“That is the decision of the impeachment court. As prosecutors, they should respect and follow that. The same goes for Vice President Sara; she should respect and follow the summons issued by the impeachment court,” Escudero stated.
He clarified that the Senate, once constituted as an impeachment court, holds jurisdiction over the matter and that the House, as prosecutors, must adhere to its orders. “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,” Escudero said.
On June 10, the Senate convened ahead of schedule to deliberate on a motion by Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who proposed to dismiss the impeachment case outright. However, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano filed a motion to amend this, proposing instead to send the articles back to the House.
Cayetano’s proposal does not seek to terminate the impeachment case. Instead, it asks the House to meet two conditions:
Certify that the case does not violate Article XI, Section 3, Paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which prohibits multiple impeachment proceedings against the same official within a year;
Confirm the House’s intent to continue prosecuting the case.
Until those requirements are fulfilled, the Senate will not proceed with the trial. The situation has sparked a constitutional and procedural debate between the two chambers over the next steps in the impeachment process.
