Senator Risa Hontiveros announced that the Senate Minority Bloc will formally push for the commencement of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte today, June 9.
"Hindi tayo papayag na ang Senado pa ang susuway sa Saligang Batas. Kaya naman ngayong hapon, mamaya sa plenary, kikilos kami sa Senate Minority para simulan namin ang aming konstitusyunal na tungkulin," Hontiveros said in a press conference early Friday.
"We in the Senate Minority will formally move to commence the opening rights in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte," she added.
She further announced that she, along with Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, will move to authorize Senate President Francis Escudero to take his oath as the presiding officer of the impeachment court and to administer the required oath to all senators as judges of the impeachment court.
The bloc will also seek for the Senate to formally convene as an impeachment court and for the Articles of Impeachment, transmitted by the House of Representatives last February, to be formally presented before the chamber.
"Wala pa tayo sa trial proper, opening rights pa lamang. Panunumpa at pormalidad. Hindi ito aabutin ng isang oras. So, let’s not pretend that one hour is too much to ask," said Hontiveros.
The Senator pointed out that if the Senate has managed to deliberate on other measures in the plenary until past midnight, then it should likewise be able to make time for the impeachment proceedings.
She emphasized that the chamber still has three full session days remaining, which, as seen in recent sittings, can extend late into the night.
"The Senate must not be heedless and callous to the growing calls for the institution to fulfill its mandate and begin the impeachment trial," she firmly added.
Hontiveros went on to cite growing calls from various sectors urging the Senate to fulfill its constitutional mandate and begin the impeachment proceedings.
"Nandyan ang simbahan, at ang iba’t ibang grupong relihiyoso, ang mga abogado, ang mga law schools at unibersidad, ang mismong mga bumalangkas ng ating Saligang Batas: sina former Supreme Court Justice Adolf Azcuna, sina Atty. Rene Sarmiento, at Atty. Christian Monsod. Lahat sila nagsasabing kumilos na ang Senado," Hontiveros recounted.
"Bilang mga Senador ng 19th Congress, malinaw sa amin sa Minority ang aming responsibilidad, at hindi ako papayag na Senado pa mismo ang bumalewala sa ating Konstitusyon dahil hindi lang taumbayan ang huhusga sa amin. Kung hindi ito matuloy, hindi tayo patatawarin ng kasaysayan," she added.
She explained that convening the Senate as an impeachment court is not optional. She stressed that if the Senate treats this responsibility as optional, it would be defying the Constitution—a stance the Senate should never take.
Moreover, she clarified that the Minority bloc has not proposed any specific timeline for the impeachment proceedings, reiterating that there is no “express lane” in the process.
Duterte became the first vice president to face impeachment, with allegations involving the misuse of confidential and intelligence funds by agencies under her authority and an alleged death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
