‘Extraordinary duty’: Escudero says VP impeach trial to begin July 30

In a press briefing on Thursday, Escudero said his proposed calendar will serve as a guide but may still be adjusted based on deliberations and the majority decision of his colleagues.

“This is a proposed calendar of activities and is not set in stone,” he said.

Based on the proposed calendar, House prosecutors will present the articles of impeachment on June 2.

On June 3, the presiding officer as well as the senators who will serve as judges in the impeachment court will take oath.

A summons for the Vice President may be issued on June 4, giving both sides time to submit pleadings before a pre-trial phase set between June 24 and July 25, Escudero said.

If the timeline holds, Escudero said the full trial, including the presentation of evidence, could begin on July 30, following the swearing-in of 12 newly-elected senators on July 29.

A formal letter outlining the proposed schedule has been sent to senators, as well as to Duterte and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

“This is an extraordinary duty that should be approached with all due caution and prudence, not to mention adequate preparation,” Escudero said in his letter.

The Senate President also ruled out the possibility of an all-senator caucus for now, despite calls from Senators Koko Pimentel III and Risa Hontiveros.

“I asked some of them, and they were either not interested or too busy. How can it be an all-senator caucus when some are traveling, some are abroad, others are unavailable, and some simply do not want to participate?” he said.

“As I said, no matter what we do, we cannot start anything without a session. Whatever we agree on will not be official because any vote we take can still change once we resume or formally convene.”

“We are not delaying — we are simply proceeding with it legally, constitutionally, and in accordance with law. For us not to follow the law will, in fact, create more delay or more opportunities for either party to go up and question the proceedings we’re undertaking,” he added.

He also told his colleagues he would propose the amendments to existing impeachment rules, including authorizinh the Senate President to issue summons on the person impeached and preside over the pre-trial and the receipt of judicial affidavits.

Escudero earlier issued Special Order 2025-015 designating the Secretary of the Senate as the Clerk of Court that will handle documentation and records and prepare summons, among others.

The Office of the Senate Legal Counsel and Deputy Secretary for Legislation, on the other hand, were designated as Deputy Clerks while the Sergeant-At-Arms shall be responsible for serving summons, subpoenas and other legal processes as well as maintaining security arrangements during the proceedings.

For his part, House prosecutor Rep. Joel Chua welcomed the issuance of the special order.

“The Senate’s most recent move affirms our commitment to upholding accountability at the highest levels of government,” said Chua, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government.

“The Senate must now proceed in accordance with its impeachment rules. This means the Vice President will have the opportunity to present her defense, and we in the prosecution panel will present our case backed by evidence and witnesses,” Chua added.

Duterte earlier filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition before the Supreme Court, seeking to nullify the impeachment complaint against her and to bar the Senate from acting on it.

Duterte said the fourth complaint transmitted to the Senate violated Section 3(5), Article 11 of the Constitution, which states: “No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year.”

The first three impeachment complaints against Duterte were all filed in December.

— Ram Superable & Maricel Cruz