By Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel and Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter
SENATE preparations for a possible impeachment trial of Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio gathered pace on Thursday, as Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III called for a caucus to discuss timelines and procedural steps, even as her legal team pushed back against allegations raised at the House of Representatives.
“Everything will rely on whether the articles of impeachment are transmitted to us or not,” Mr. Sotto told reporters, signaling the chamber’s readiness to act once the case reaches the Senate. “It is important for us to prepare because our countrymen are looking at us very seriously.”
The planned caucus will also cover priority measures under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, but the looming impeachment trial is expected to dominate discussions as political tensions escalate.
The Senate may convene as an impeachment court as soon as a day after receiving the articles of impeachment, Mr. Sotto said, signaling a swift start to proceedings once the case is transmitted by the House.
“If ever they approve the impeachment on May 11 or 12 and they send the articles by May 13, we will discuss it already and convene as an impeachment court,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.
The Senate’s move hinges on the constitutional directive that impeachment trials should proceed “forthwith,” a term that has drawn scrutiny over its timing implications.
Under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the Senate is authorized to sit as an impeachment court once at least one-third of congressmen affirm the complaint, with trial proceedings mandated to proceed without delay.
The Supreme Court has clarified that “forthwith” does not prescribe a fixed timetable.
“It does not specify a fixed timeframe for the Senate to start an impeachment trial,” the tribunal said in a statement. “It simply provides that the trial ‘shall forthwith proceed,’ leaving the timing to the Senate’s discretion.”
The House Justice Committee on Wednesday unanimously found probable cause in two impeachment complaints against Ms. Duterte.
Senators have begun internal preparations for a possible trial, including discussions on designating an impeachment spokesman and logistical arrangements such as robes, venue, food and security.
“The chairman of the Committee on Accounts will make sure that everything will be in order,” Mr. Sotto said.
Among those present at the caucus were Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo M. Lacson and Senators Ana Theresia N. Baraquel-Hontiveros, Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, Lorna Regina B. Legarda and Pilar Juliana S. Cayetano. The minority bloc was represented by Robinhood C. Padilla.
Mr. Sotto said the Senate has yet to finalize the timetable for the proceedings and may call another caucus once the House transmits the articles of impeachment.
The House Justice Committee is set to elevate its findings to the plenary, possibly next week, where lawmakers will vote on whether to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial.
Congress will resume session on May 4 after a one-and-a-half-month break.
Ms. Duterte faces a range of allegations, including misuse of public funds, unexplained wealth and betrayal of public trust. The complaints also cite an alleged plot to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., First Lady Marie Louise A. Marcos and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.
If convicted by the Senate, the Vice-President will be removed from office and barred from seeking any government post, a development that could reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2028 presidential election, which she has said she plans to contest.
‘FISHING EXPEDITION’
Her legal team, however, has strongly challenged the House proceedings. In a statement, lawyer Paul Lawrence S. Lim said the evidence presented during the April 29 hearing failed to establish the elements required for criminal charges such as inciting to sedition and grave threats.
He argued that the case was built on selective presentation of information and lacked sufficient context to meet the standard of probable cause.
“If there is anything that was proved by [Wednesday’s] proceedings, it is to confirm that it is and has always been a fishing expedition aimed at giving a semblance of substance to the defective impeachment complaints,” Mr. Lim said in a statement.
He added that any criminal allegations would be addressed in the “proper fora,” where evidence would be tested under due process rather than in a political setting.
The impeachment push comes amid widening rifts within the country’s top leadership, following Ms. Duterte’s resignation as Education secretary in 2024 and the administration’s decision to allow her father, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, to face proceedings before the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity.
Meanwhile, Malacañang moved to steady concerns over the military’s role after National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin A. Matibag said during the House hearing that a military member had been tapped in a plot against the President.
Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said the President maintains full confidence in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, urging the public to allow authorities to complete their investigation.
