Questions over whether the Senate will proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte have raised the possibility of a leadership shake-up in the chamber, according to former Senate president Aquilino Pimentel III.
In an interview with dzBB, Pimentel warned that any effort to halt the proceedings would not only face legal issues but could also spark internal conflict within the Senate. He pointed out that if a majority of senators insist on supporting such a move, it may put them at odds with current Senate President Vicente Sotto III, potentially resulting in a power struggle.
Pimentel said the Constitution clearly directs the Senate to immediately act on impeachment cases once formal charges are transmitted, stressing that attempts to stop the process would run counter to that mandate. “That’s wrong, because trial shall forthwith proceed. If there would be a motion, whoever files it, that’s wrong. That person must be made aware that it is wrong,” he said over dzBB.
He described a scenario in which tensions between Senate leadership and a majority bloc could escalate into a leadership challenge, noting the numerical advantage of 15 majority senators against nine in the minority. The current composition, he added, makes any internal shift more feasible than in previous Congresses.
Despite this, Pimentel expressed confidence that Sotto would resist efforts to derail the trial, even if it puts his position at risk. “I think he will follow what he believes in. Whatever the belief today is, if he is replaced, so be it… Being Senate President is just a position. It’s not worth crying over,” he said.
Pimentel, who previously led the Senate before Sotto assumed the post, also urged lawmakers—especially those without legal training—to seek guidance from experienced practitioners to better navigate impeachment proceedings. He maintained that the chamber’s existing impeachment rules remain reliable and have already proven effective in past convictions.
He underscored that senators serving as judges in the trial must ultimately base their verdict on the evidence and their own judgment, rather than political affiliations.
