Escudero: No sign Marcos wants special session for VP Sara impeachment

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero stated on Sunday that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. had not expressed any intention to call a special session for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Escudero clarified that he has not received any requests from proponents or opponents of Duterte’s impeachment, leaving him unconcerned while Congress remains on break.

“Wala po. Pero siyempre ‘pag nagpatawag ang Pangulo, anong gagawin namin? Eh 'di kailangan namin mag-attend,” Escudero said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(No indication from the President. But of course, if he calls for a meeting, we will attend.)

GMA News Online has sought a response from Malacañang and will update this story accordingly.

Marcos had previously stated he was open to calling a special session but emphasized that the formal request should originate from the Senate.

Escudero, however, sees no reason to request a special session, noting that previous impeachment cases were not expedited. He also confirmed that no senators have pushed for such a request.

“Hindi espesyal si Vice President Sara Duterte. Hindi espesyal ang posisyon ng Vice President para 'yung sa kanya madaliin namin, sa Chief Justice hindi, sa Ombudsman hindi. Pare-pareho lamang silang impeachable officers na sa ilalim ng Konstitusyon ay dapat tratuhin din ng pare-parehas—walang labis, walang kulang, walang nakakalamang, walang naaapi,” he added.

(Vice President Sara Duterte is not special. The position of the Vice President is not special for us to rush her impeachment trial, just as we did not hasten proceedings for the Chief Justice or the Ombudsman. All impeachable officers must be treated equally under the Constitution—no more, no less.)

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte last Wednesday, with 215 lawmakers endorsing the fourth impeachment complaint against her. Another 25 House members have signed the impeachment complaint against her, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said Friday.

The complaint was transmitted to the Senate, but the upper chamber adjourned without addressing it. As a result, the trial will begin in June after the May 12 elections.

Escudero reiterated that the Senate will not rush Duterte’s impeachment trial, though Marcos retains the authority to call a special session following the impeachment endorsement.

House not pressuring Senate

Meanwhile, Iloilo 3rd District Representative Lorenz Defensor, one of the 11 House prosecutors for the impeachment trial, stated that the House was not pressuring the Senate to expedite proceedings.

Instead, he emphasized that the Constitution mandates that “the trial shall proceed forthwith.”

“Ang isang impeachment complaint laban sa isang nakakataas na opisyal ng ating bansa involves national interest. Kahit na anong sabihin natin, nakalagay Bise Presidente ang respondent sa isang impeachment complaint na ito,” Defensor said in a separate dzBB interview.

(An impeachment complaint against a high-ranking official involves national interest. Regardless of opinions, the fact remains that the respondent is the Vice President)

He affirmed the House’s respect for the Senate as an independent constitutional and impeachment court. Defensor also expressed confidence that Marcos would not call a special session to accelerate the impeachment trial.

“Sigurado akong hindi gagawin ng Presidente ‘yun na magtawag ng special session. Hindi rin gagawin ng Kongreso na hingin para ipatawag ang isang special session. Kasi alam kong dapat hindi nakikialam ang Presidente o ang Executive Department sa isang bagay katulad ng impeachment,” Defensor added.

(I am certain the President will not call a special session. Congress will also not request one because the Executive Department should not interfere in an impeachment process.)

Time running out

Former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned that without a special session, the Senate may not have enough time to complete the impeachment trial once Congress resumes on June 2.

“If they don’t convene as an impeachment court right now, after the elections they can convene. Although after elections, June 2, eh June 30 maga-adjourn na sila [they will adjourn] per their calendar. The Congress will expire June 30 at noon. Halos wala nang oras,” Carpio said in a Kapihan sa QC forum.

He noted that the respondent had ten days to submit a comment, as mandated by the Constitution and Senate rules. While the trial could begin, it might not be completed before Congress adjourns, potentially pushing the case to the next Congress.

Carpio emphasized that only the President can call a special session and recalled no instance where Congress had formally requested one.

He described such a move as a “very special case” if lawmakers were to ask President Marcos to convene a session during the break.

Under the Constitution, an official cannot face impeachment more than once within a year. This means Vice President Sara Duterte could gain a one-year reprieve if the trial is not concluded within the 19th Congress.

The seven Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Duterte include:

• Conspiracy to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez;
• Malversation of P612.5 million in confidential funds with questionable liquidation documents;
• Bribery and corruption in the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s tenure as Education Secretary, involving former DepEd officials;
• Unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), with her wealth reportedly increasing fourfold from 2007 to 2017;
• Involvement in extrajudicial killings in Davao City;
• Destabilization and public disorder efforts, including boycotting the State of the Nation Address (SONA) while declaring herself “designated survivor,” leading rallies calling for Marcos Jr.’s resignation, obstructing congressional investigations, and issuing threats against top officials; and
• The totality of her conduct as Vice President.

Duterte on Friday said that she is not contemplating on resigning from her position yet after the House of Representatives impeached her.

While the impeachment court has yet to be convened, Duterte said at this early stage that she will not appear since, she said, it is allowed.

"Kung puwede naman hindi and I understand puwede naman, hindi na. Kasi baka ma-intimidate lang sila lahat sa presence ko doon," she said.

(If it is allowed, and I understand it is allowed, I will not attend. Becuase they might all be intimidated by my presence.)

"Sa kabila ng lahat ng aking mga naging pahayag ukol sa planong impeachment sa mga nakaraang buwan, ang tanging masasabi ko na lamang sa puntong ito ay 'God save the Philippines,'" she added.

(Despite all that I said about the planned impeachment in the past months, all I can say at this point is 'God save the Philippines.')

According to the Vice President, her team has been preparing for the impeachment since November 2023.

Duterte reiterated her denial that she made assassination threats against the President.

Before ending her press conference, Duterte left a Valentine's Day message which she related to the lower chamber's move to impeach her.

"Mas masakit pa maiwan ng boyfriend o girlfriend kaysa ma-impeach ka ng House of Representatives," Duterte said.

(It's more painful to be left by your boyfriend or girlfriend than to be impeached by the House of Representatives.) — DVM/KG, GMA Integrated News