The House prosecution panel still looks forward to the Senate granting their request to require Vice President Sara Duterte to respond to the allegations against her in the articles of impeachment, despite the request having been rejected by Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

In a virtual interview, House prosecutor Gerville Luistro said they remain optimistic that Escudero will reconsider their motion to issue a summons to Duterte, which would compel her to counter the allegations of bribery, graft and corruption, among others, before the trial formally starts in late July.

“We are somehow optimistic. Since there has been no official denial of the motion, it might still be considered. Let’s hope the Senate President changes his mind,” Luistro told reporters.

She continued, “Because if there is no official response, then I wish to believe that we have reason to continue hoping that with the Vice President around already, the Senate President might consider the motion of the prosecutors for a writ of summons.”

In a press briefing in late March, Escudero, who will sit as presiding judge in the upcoming impeachment trial, dismissed the House prosecutors’ move as “illegal,” asserting that a summons can only be issued when Congress is in session and the Senate impeachment court has been convened.

But lead prosecutor Marcelino Libanan countered that though they respected Escudero’s decision, a “formal written communication” is required to allow the prosecution team to determine their next legal move, including the possibility of elevating their request to the Supreme Court.

Congress is currently on a four-month break for the election campaign season and will resume sessions on 2 June.

Based on the Senate’s timetable, the issuance of a summons is scheduled for 4 June, and the reception of pleadings is set from the 14th to the 24th of the same month.

The prosecution team has insisted that compelling Duterte to respond to impeachment allegations even before the trial starts is expected to expedite proceedings, allowing both the prosecution and defense to complete their pleadings in advance.

According to prosecutor Lorenz Defensor, this would allow both parties to study the case so they could move forward with the trial preparations in June.

The House has cited seven impeachable offenses against Duterte, including betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. A total of 215 lawmakers signed the articles of impeachment.