MANILA, Philippines — The Senate has officially constituted itself as an impeachment court in preparation for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, although it has yet to convene.
Senate President Francis Escudero clarified the distinction between the two stages, saying the court was effectively constituted when he took his oath as presiding officer on Monday.
“Once you convene it, you’ve already struck the gavel. Constituted means it has been formally created. It’s considered constituted because there’s already a presiding officer, even if the members haven’t formally assumed their roles yet,” Escudero said in a media interview.
“It’s like us now — the Senate is already constituted, but we haven’t convened yet. That will happen later this afternoon,” he added, referring to the Senate’s regular session.
Escudero is scheduled to administer the oaths of the remaining 22 senators at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. These senators will serve as judges in the impeachment trial, which is formally set to begin on Wednesday, June 11.
Escudero downplayed concerns about the order of proceedings, describing the early constitution of the impeachment court as a procedural matter that does not affect the integrity of the process.
“There’s no technicality. If you’re asking whether someone will bring this to the Supreme Court to question it on a technicality that could possibly stop the impeachment, I don’t think so,” he said.
He emphasized that the creation of the impeachment court does not impact the merits of the case or the parties involved.
According to Escudero, Wednesday’s convening will be mostly ceremonial, with the House of Representatives’ prosecution panel set to present the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.
Initially, the plan was to present the charges directly to the Senate to trigger the court’s formation. However, the Senate decided in plenary on Monday to refer the articles to its committee on rules instead.
Once convened, the impeachment court will assume full responsibility for proceedings, including the pre-trial, issuance of summons, and scheduling of the trial.
It has been over four months since the House transmitted the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate on February 5. More than 200 House lawmakers voted to impeach Duterte over multiple allegations.
These include the alleged misuse of confidential funds during her time as Vice President and former Education Secretary, purported threats against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, as well as alleged failure to fully declare her assets in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
