Senate eyes final VP impeachment timetable

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero disclosed on Monday that the Upper Chamber has not yet finalized its proposed timetable for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a statement, Escudero said that all proposals will be voted on and decided upon once the plenary session resumes on 2 June.

“Whatever we agree upon and decide, it will be proposed in the plenary. All of these will be subject to the approval of the plenary sitting as the Senate and by the impeachment court when it comes to the schedule,” Escudero said.

The Senate President also welcomed Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III’s willingness to take the lead in drafting the rules for the impeachment trial.

“It is not important who leads here, but we will accept any help, and our office, along with the Senate’s legal team, will coordinate with him regarding his ideas on the rules,” said Escudero, adding that Pimentel has not yet commented on the proposed timetable.

“This is just a proposed timetable. He did not say he is opposing it. As I said, this will be voted on and decided upon when Congress resumes on 2 June,” he added.

Last month, Escudero released the proposed timeline of activities for the impeachment trial, including:

Resumption of session, presentation of the articles of impeachment by the prosecutors and approval of the revised rules of procedure on impeachment trials will be at 3 p.m. on 2 June, while convening of the impeachment court and oath-taking of incumbent senator-judges at 9 a.m. on 3 June.

“Because he will defend it on the floor, but he is being assisted by the Senate’s legal team in providing proposals for discussion in the plenary, and each one will be presented in the plenary. The Committee on Rules will present that. I will distinguish the rules — Senate sitting as a plenary, as the Senate will decide on that,” Escudero said.

He added that the finalization of the calendar will be decided by the impeachment court and clarified that Pimentel will assist in drafting the rules.

“He is the minority leader and a member of the Committee on Rules,” Escudero said.

“All of this will still be studied by the Rules Committee because they will be the ones to present it, but we are still at the stage where we are gathering all inputs, and we will propose them to them. What I will ask from the Committee on Rules is to present all of this in the plenary,” he added.

Escudero also stressed that the approval of the calendar for the impeachment trial will be handled differently.

“The calendar will not be approved by the Senate sitting in plenary; the calendar will have to be approved by the impeachment court, although it’s the same composition,” Escudero said, adding that the Senate is drafting its response to the Supreme Court’s directive to comment on the petitions requesting immediate action on Duterte’s impeachment.