The impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte hinges on the full backing of Congress, complainants emphasized on Friday, highlighting the role of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in advancing the process.
Lawyer Kristina Conti and House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro stressed in a GMA News report that the Senate’s role as a continuing body ensures that impeachment proceedings can extend beyond the current 19th Congress.
“It is stated in the Constitution that once the House refers the impeachment complaint to the Senate, then the Senate will constitute itself as an impeachment court,” Conti explained during the Agenda forum. “As long as the House forwards this to the Senate, regardless of its composition, it should be valid for trial in the next Congress.”
Conti noted that securing 103 signatories from lawmakers could expedite the process, as the complaint would be referred directly to the Senate. “Kaya, dun sa mga natatakot, usapin ito na, all or nothing, all-in tayo dito. Pag all-in, mas mabilis,” she said.
With only four weeks remaining in the 19th Congress—three before the session adjourns for the 2025 election campaign and one post-election—the timeline is tight. Castro echoed Conti’s points, explaining that the Senate’s continuity ensures the process won’t require restarting.
“The Senate is a continuing body. There will be 12 senators from the previous Congress who will remain after elections, and once the impeachment is sent to the Senate, they can proceed with discussions,” Castro said.
However, Senate President Francis Escudero raised concerns about the impeachment’s survivability beyond the 19th Congress, questioning if it should start anew like an ordinary bill.
Three impeachment complaints against Duterte are pending in the House. Duterte, meanwhile, has welcomed the proceedings, stating they focus solely on her. “Ako lang ang iniimbestigahan noon… Masagot na ng final kung ano ‘yung mga inaakusa nila sa akin,” she said.
Despite their confidence in the merits of the complaint, Castro acknowledged that political considerations might hinder progress. “Ang nagiging problema siguro, tinatantiya rin nila ‘yung opposition ng Senate sa ngayon,” she said.
Former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo agreed that the process depends entirely on congressional support. “Regardless of public support, iyong mga members ng Congress, kung gusto nila ito, mangyayari. But of course, there’s a risk [to that],” he said.
A pro-impeachment group, the Peach Coalition, has been formed to rally lawmakers behind the complaints.
