House seeks impeach trial workspace

The House of Representatives has asked the Senate to provide a temporary workspace for the 11-member prosecution panel during Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

In a letter released to the media on Sunday, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco told Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero that a designated room inside the Senate building would facilitate coordination between prosecutors and the House Secretariat Support Group.

Velasco said the prosecution team intends to inspect the room on Tuesday to ensure it meets their needs.

In a separate letter, Speaker Martin Romualdez acknowledged Escudero’s notice about the Senate’s impeachment trial preparations, including its contentious timetable.

Romualdez expressed confidence that the Senate would conduct the proceedings with “fairness, impartiality, and strict adherence to the Constitution.”

Duterte is the first Vice President in Philippine history to be impeached by the House, with 215 lawmakers — more than double the required 102 votes — endorsing the articles of impeachment to the Senate.

The Senate is expected to begin the trial when the 20th Congress convenes, coinciding with President Marcos’ third State of the Nation Address in late July.

The House outlined seven impeachable offenses against Duterte, including betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

The charges primarily stem from allegations that she plotted to have Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Romualdez killed, as well as the purported misappropriation of P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to her office and the Department of Education during her tenure as secretary.

Duterte and a group of Mindanaoan lawyers allied with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, have petitioned the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order to block the Senate from proceeding with the trial, arguing that the impeachment articles are constitutionally flawed.

The Senate will need a two-thirds vote — at least 16 of its 24 members — to convict Duterte. If convicted, she will be permanently disqualified from holding public office, jeopardizing her rumored 2028 presidential bid.