Tolentino: 19 days enough for Sara impeachment trial

Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino has proposed a 19-day impeachment trial calendar for Vice President Sara Duterte, emphasizing that the proceedings must conclude within the current 19th Congress and cannot be carried over to the next legislative session.

In a 9 June radio interview, Tolentino asserted that the Constitution does not allow the trial to extend beyond the term of the present Congress.

“I repeatedly read the Constitution. There’s no word like ‘carry over,’ no concept of continuing,” he said.

“‘Forthwith’ is a command to the 19th Congress. Not to the 20th or to the 21st,” he added, referring to the House’s directive transmitting the impeachment articles to the Senate.

To expedite the process, Tolentino suggested reducing the number of impeachment articles from seven to just two or three.

“Kung may cooperation ang panel of prosecutors, siguro pwede nilang i-withdraw ang iba, gawin na lang dalawa o tatlo para mapabilis,” he said.

Amid speculations on the possible dismissal of the case — already acknowledged by Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa — Tolentino clarified that any senator can file a resolution to that effect. However, he stood firm that, “Kung magkakaroon ng dismissal, dapat pagkatapos pa ng June 30.”

The proposed 19-day calendar starts 11 June and ends with a verdict on 30 June:

• 11 June: Formation of the Impeachment Court

• 12-21 June: Period for VP Duterte to respond

• 22 June: Submission of prosecution’s reply

• 23 June: Filing of trial briefs and opening statements

• 24-25 June: Presentation of prosecution evidence

• 25-26 June: Presentation of defense evidence

• 27 June: Rebuttals

• 28 June: Oral arguments

• 29 June: Senator-judges’ closed-door deliberation

• 30 June: Final verdict

Tolentino noted that the proposed timeline has not yet been submitted to Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, as the case has not been formally referred to the Senate Committee on Rules.