Senate must ‘immediately proceed’ with Duterte's trial

Former Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said Sunday that the Senate has no legal basis to delay an impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte once the articles of impeachment reach the chamber.

In a radio interview, Pimentel stressed that the Constitution requires senators to act as judges and “forthwith proceed” with the proceedings. He warned that any attempt to bypass a trial would be a violation of constitutional duty.

“My advice, especially to my former colleagues in the Senate, is to fast-track this so that the people would know what their decisions are as senator-judges,” said the former senator.

The former Senate President, who served as a senator-judge during the 2012 impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, said the public would respect any verdict as long as the process is followed.

“What is hard to accept is not having a trial or avoiding one. To me, that is very wrong,” he said.

He also rejected suggestions that senators could vote on whether to hold a trial at all after receiving the transmission from the House of Representatives. He argued that the term “forthwith” in the Constitution conveys immediacy, meaning the trial should begin almost immediately upon receipt.

“If anyone motions otherwise, they should be told that is a wrong move,” he added.

He first called for the start of proceedings after the initial articles of impeachment against Duterte were transmitted on 5 February 2025.

While then-Senate President Francis Escudero previously argued the Senate could not proceed during a congressional recess, Pimentel expressed confidence that current Senate President Vicente Sotto III would fulfill the mandate.

Sotto has previously stated the Senate would convene as an impeachment court the day after receiving the formal charges.