The Senate may convene as an impeachment court as early as June once the House of Representatives transmits the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, according to Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Saturday.
Lacson said the Senate could formally sit as an impeachment court immediately upon receipt of the Articles of Impeachment, but the actual trial proper may not begin right away due to required preliminary procedures.
He explained that while Senate President Vicente Sotto III prefers an immediate convening of the impeachment court, several procedural steps must first be completed. These include the issuance of summons, submission of replies, and a preliminary conference to define stipulations and determine evidence that may be presented.
“Kailangan ma-transmit muna sa amin ang Articles of Impeachment. Kung susundin natin ang ganoong proseso, hindi ganoon kadali yan. We’re talking of at least three weeks siguro bago talaga makapagsimula ang trial, at the very least,” Lacson said in a radio interview.
Because of these processes, Lacson said the full impeachment trial could realistically start by June, even if the Senate convenes earlier.
He noted that the preliminary conference or ”pre-trial” may be conducted to clarify the issues to be tackled during the proceedings and to avoid disputes later in the trial.
Lacson also recalled the impeachment trial of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona, saying the absence of a proper pre-trial process led to confusion and the unexpected or “surprise” witnesses during the proceedings.
“Ang natandaan ko noong panahon ng trial ni former Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Corona, hindi nagkaroon ng preliminary conference. So bandang gitna nang nagkagulo-gulo, kung anu-ano napasok na testigo doon lang nagsagawa ng preliminary conference or pretrial. So mas mainam sa simula pa lang maliwanag na anong tatalakayin sa trial, ang tinanggap na ng magkabilang panig. Di na yan paguusapan at pagdedebatehan ng prosecution and defense,” he said.
On the possibility that the SC may issue a temporary restraining order (TRO), Lacson said the impeachment court would discuss and vote on the appropriate response, stressing that the Senate acts as a constitutional body in impeachment cases.
“Palagay ko hanggang walang ini-issue na TRO, tuloy-tuloy ang pagdinig, ang trial. Unless i-compel kami. At yan paguusapan namin yan. Ang impeachment court ay constitutional body yan at sinabi ng SC ginagalang nila coequal not only the Senate kundi also mismong impeachment court. Ang decision ng impeachment court is unappealable. Di pwede itong iapela sa SC. Final yan,” he said.
“Hindi ko sinasabing option (na hindi sundin ang TRO). Pero kailangang pagusapan namin at pagbotohan namin. We will always make decisions based on the majority,” he added.
Lacson further said that senators were reminded during a recent meeting to ”act like judges” and remain impartial throughout the proceedings. Senator Robinhood Padilla, he said, was present during the briefing and was tasked to relay the reminder to other members of the chamber.
“Kami makikinig lang kami sa mga tanong na direkta at cross examination at doon kami magbabase ng aming decision kung ano ang evidence na tingin namin makaka-guide sa amin kung kami ba ay magko-convict or mag-a-acquit,” he said.
He also noted that around ₱27 million in allocated funds may still be available for the impeachment proceedings, with only a small portion of the budget previously used for related expenses such as senator-judges’ robes and identification materials.
