Did Senate just kill trial?
The Senate's delay of Duterte's impeachment has raised fears the trial may be quietly abandoned.
John Carlo Magallon
Daily TribuneThe Senate's delay of Duterte's impeachment has raised fears the trial may be quietly abandoned.
John Carlo Magallon
The Senate’s decision to postpone the presentation of impeachment charges against Vice President Sara Duterte from 2 June to 11 June has triggered concern among House lawmakers that the trial may not proceed at all.
The delay, announced by Senate President Chiz Escudero, cites the need to prioritize pending legislation and over 200 executive appointments before Congress adjourns sine die.
But members of the House, which impeached Duterte in February with 215 votes, see the move as a potential derailment of a constitutionally mandated process.
The charges against Duterte include alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds and a supposed plot to assassinate the President’s family, claims she has consistently denied.
With the rescheduling, there may not be sufficient time to convene the Senate as an impeachment court, issue a summons, or begin proceedings before the session ends.
House officials fear the case may lapse into the 20th Congress, where Duterte is expected to have greater support in the Senate.
She needs just eight votes to avoid conviction.
Deputy Minority Leader France Castro called the delay “deeply troubling,” noting that it coincides with reports of possible moves to dismiss the case outright.
What was set to become a rare test of high-level accountability now risks being overtaken by timing, political calculus or both.