Sotto warns vs delays in impeachment trial
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Saturday warned he would not brook any delaying tactics should the House of Representatives impeach Vice President Sara Duterte as expected.
The Senate president said impeachment rules have already been tested in the past, including the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona, and any attempt to amend them would becloud the process.
“We don’t see any shortcomings there that still need to be addressed,” Sotto said in a radio interview, adding that he is very familiar with the rules since he worked on them with the late Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile in 2011. “The public will clearly see who are simply causing trouble.”
While he acknowledged that the Senate must act “forthwith” once articles of impeachment are transmitted by the House of Representatives, Sotto said that immediately convening as an impeachment court does not mean the trial proper would begin at once.
He said there would have to be periods for the defense and prosecution to submit pleadings, as well as pretrial proceedings intended to streamline the presentation of evidence and avoid surprises during the trial itself.
Sotto said the trial may start “maybe by the last week of June. That would be the latest. As long as there are no delays or unnecessary things that should not happen.”
The House committee on justice is expected to approve the committee report, resolution and articles of impeachment when Congress resumes its sessions on May 4.
The Senate expects designated House prosecutors to present the articles of impeachment on June 2, and Sotto has said he would then convene the impeachment court to issue summons and other relevant orders on June 3.
The House has announced that the House prosecution team would consist of Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora of San Juan, Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (1-Rider party list), Manila Rep. Joel Chua, Rep. Marcelo Libanan (4Ps party list), Oriental Mindoro Rep. Arnan Panaligan, Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor, Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores, Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima and Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno.
Delayed by respondent
According to Duterte, her legal team began preparations as early as November 2023, and her team includes 16 members.
Amid the preparations, former Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Law dean Jose Roy III said Duterte’s refusal to participate in the House impeachment hearings may have left the record against her largely unanswered.
Roy noted that the House committee on justice hearings were part of the due process available to Duterte, but she did not appear before the House proceedings.
He added that the legal effect of nonparticipation was straightforward: The committee had little formal counter-evidence from the Vice President’s side when it evaluated the complaints.
Roy also addressed the controversy over the House inquiry into bank records linked to Duterte’s husband, Atty. Mans Carpio. He said the issue was not simply that Carpio is a private citizen, but that his spouse is one of the country’s highest officials. Roy said the presumption is shared ownership.
But Carpio spokesperson Neil Abayon said the House has no right to subpoena bank records in general because it is not sitting as an impeachment court, and that the bank secrecy exception “in cases of impeachment” should apply only when Duterte is already on trial.
The Supreme Court said on April 29 that the constitutional phrase “shall forthwith proceed” does not set an exact date for the Senate trial, but means the Senate must act within a reasonable time and avoid undue delay. The high court said the Senate may make necessary preparations to convene as an impeachment court.
Roy agreed with Sotto that the Supreme Court bars deliberate delays and that the Senate cannot accommodate delays.
