President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is closely watching developments in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, which he believes will carry over to the 20th Congress.

“It is very clear that it will (carry over),” he said yesterday, “because there is no way that even if they start the trial now, they will finish it before the new senators come in. So, well, again, the senators will decide,” he said.

Marcos, a former senator who served as a senator-judge during the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, said it was up to the Senate to determine the next steps in the impeachment trial of the Vice President, as it is their function.

“Well, this is really a function of the Senate right now. So, we leave it to them,” he said. “It has already moved from the House; it has now been in the Senate for a few months.”

“We are watching, of course, what the Senate President, Chiz Escudero, is doing to try to make it as peaceful a transition as possible from this Congress to the next,” he added.

Escudero took his oath as presiding officer over the impeachment trial on Monday. The other senators who will serve as senator-judges took their oath yesterday. (See related story)

The Senate will convene today, 11 June, as an impeachment court. However, it is also the last session day of the 19th Congress.

Duterte was impeached by 215 House members on 5 February, with Escudero taking flak for allegedly sitting on the complaint for so long. The articles of impeachment had been sitting in the upper chamber for four months.

Escudero on Monday, however, expressed his position that the impeachment trial could carry over to the 20th Congress from the 19th Congress, which is bowing out at the end of the month.

Marcos focused on the people

Despite the President sharing his thoughts on the impeachment trial, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stressed the next steps were up to the Senate as Marcos was more focused on addressing the needs of the Filipino people.

“In this situation, the Senate is focused on the impeachment trial but the President is focused on the needs of the Filipino people,” she said.

Different groups have expressed support for both sides of the issue, with some in favor and others against the impeachment trial of Duterte.

Castro said Malacañang respected the positions and opinions of the different groups.

“Every group, every person has their own beliefs, every opinion. As we said, a public servant should have accountability, transparency,” she said.

“So, the President respects every opinion of every person and every group. But again, the President is focused on working for the people,” she added.