The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) expressed disappointment at the apparent mishandling by the Senate of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, saying that remanding the complaint to the House of Representatives amounted to the upper chamber abandoning its mandate.

“We believe the Senate has a constitutional duty to conduct, without any delay or disruption, the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Abandoning this mandate undermines the integrity of our democratic processes,” the MAP statement, signed by its president Al Panlilio and national issues committee chair Rene Almendras, said.

The group aired its deep concern, believing the matter went beyond politics, but “it is fundamentally about good governance and the rule of law.”

“By allowing the trial to proceed, the Senate would affirm its commitment to transparency, accountability, and other principles of good governance, giving the prosecution a fair chance to present its case and the defense a full opportunity to respond and clear the respondent’s name,” the MAP said.

Moreover, the group said that upholding the rule of law is essential not only to safeguard our institutions but also to ensure a stable, predictable environment for economic growth.

“It builds investor confidence, attracts job-generating investments, and ultimately benefits all Filipinos. We are confident that our senators will rise to the occasion and reaffirm the Senate’s role as a pillar of good governance and the rule of law,” the group said.

Voting 18-5, the senators decided on Tuesday night to remand the charges against Duterte to the House of Representatives, temporarily halting the impeachment trial.

Meanwhile, former Commission on Elections chair Christian Monsod said it is the Filipino people who are “the losers” after the Senate voted to return the articles of impeachment against Duterte to the House.

“The problem here is they are creating new issues that should not have been created, that should not have been raised,” Monsod said in a radio interview on Wednesday.

“It’s like [the Senate] wants to derail, delay, [or] stop the process. That is not part of their job,” he said.

The Senate voted 18-5 to suspend the trial, requiring the House to confirm that Duterte’s impeachment did not violate the constitutional rule barring multiple impeachment complaints against the same official within one year.

Monsod said that determining the constitutionality of the complaint was the court’s responsibility — not the Senate’s.

“It is not for the Senate to determine whether it is constitutional or not,” he said. “The only job of the Senate, according to the Constitution, is to hold the trial. Clearly, they must proceed with the trial.”

He stressed that the Senate’s role is “merely to hear the case.”