Sara Duterte impeach trial to start after SONA —Escudero

The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will most likely start after the State of the Nations Address (SONA) on July 21 under the 20th Congress, Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero said Monday.

“Most likely when the new Congress already enters into its functions. That means after SONA. So I think SONA is on July 21. So trial will commence after that date,” Escudero said in a press conference. 

He also said there is no reason to call for a special session for the trial of Duterte.

“I have already said I have no intention of requesting the President for a special session. Hindi ito isa sa mga bagay na dahilan para magpatawag ng special session ang Senado (This is not one of the things where the Senate should call for a special session),” he told reporters.

Senator Escudero stated that the Senate could conduct a two- to three-month impeachment trial.

“If we can hold a trial for four times a week, four days a week, for five to six hours each, I think that it would be sufficient, basing it on the completed trial of then Chief Justice [Renato] Corona,” Escudero said.

He clarified that the impeachment trial would not be automatically dismissed even with the transition to a new Congress.

“Bagaman nagpalit ang membership ng Senado dahil tumawid sa panibagong Kongreso, tumutuloy-tuloy rin ang kaso doon at hindi kailangang i-dismiss dahil lamang pumasok ang panibago na namang Kongreso,” Escudeor said.

(Although the Senate's membership changes with a new Congress, the case will proceed and does not need to be dismissed just because new senators take office.)

However, he noted that the new Congress could vote to withdraw the impeachment complaint.

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

In a press conference Friday, Duterte said her team has been preparing for the trial and she is not contemplating on resigning from her position.

She also said that she will not appear during the trial.

But Escudero said the Senate can "make" Duterte attend the trial if needed.

“Will she attend as a lawyer, lawyering for herself? It depends on what capacity she will attend. As a lawyer, then she will sit with all the other lawyers. As a witness, she will sit on the witness stand. As a mere spectator and not part of the legal team, she will sit in the gallery,” the lawmaker said. —AOL/DVM, GMA Integrated News