The abrupt change in Senate leadership that unfolded while the House of Representatives was deliberating on Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment was orchestrated with the Duterte camp’s involvement, ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio charged Wednesday.
“Definitely, may role ang VP dito at ang kampo ng mga Duterte dahil sila ang pangunahing makikinabang dito,” Tinio said at a press conference, pointing to what he described as a coordinated series of moves designed to protect the Vice President from a Senate trial.
Among the indicators Tinio cited: Duterte’s February declaration of a 2028 presidential bid, the PDP’s public stance against lawmakers who would vote for impeachment, and the sudden reappearance of Senator Ronald dela Rosa at the Senate after nearly six months out of public view — timed precisely to participate in the coup against then-Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
“Mapagtatahi-tahi mo naman eh. Iyong biglang lumantad si Senator Bato, malinaw ang timing nito. Malinaw na may kaugnayan ito sa impeachment,” Tinio said. He also noted that declared backers of the leadership change had been openly identified: “Deklarado naman iyong iba na ang core ng kudeta ay iyong Duterte bloc.”
Sotto had previously committed that the Senate would proceed “forthwith” with the impeachment trial upon receipt of the Articles of Impeachment — a commitment rendered moot by his removal. The House voted 257–0 in favor of the impeachment complaints, well above the 106-vote threshold required under Article 11, Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution, which mandates that once a verified complaint is filed by at least one-third of House members, the Articles of Impeachment are constituted and Senate trial must proceed forthwith.
Newly installed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano denied any connection between the leadership transition and the impeachment proceedings, asserting the Senate would still take up the trial once the House formally transmitted the articles.
The Articles of Impeachment arrived at the Senate on Wednesday evening amid a separate crisis: a lockdown sparked by dela Rosa’s presence in the chamber, where he had taken refuge under Senate protective custody following confirmation by the International Criminal Court that it had issued an arrest warrant against him.
The impeachment articles approved by the House charge Duterte with four counts. Article 1 covers the alleged misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of P500 million in confidential funds released to the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million released to the Department of Education during her time as Education Secretary. Article 2 encompasses three sub-charges: amassing unexplained wealth disproportionate to her lawful income, failing to fully disclose assets and liabilities in her SALNs for 2022, 2023, and 2024, and continuing business interests throughout her vice presidency without divesting. Article 3 covers alleged payments to DepEd officials to induce violations of procurement laws. Article 4 charges her with contracting the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and then-Speaker Martin Romualdez through grave threats and actively inciting sedition.
Cayetano’s election to the Senate presidency came hours before the Articles of Impeachment were physically delivered to the upper chamber.
