President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed willingness to convene a special session of Congress for a potential impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte if the Senate formally requests it. This follows the Senate's adjournment without addressing the impeachment complaint submitted by the House of Representatives. The President clarified that the decision ultimately rests with the Senate.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed openness to calling a special session of Congress for the potential impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte if the Senate formally requests it. This statement came after the Senate concluded its sessions without addressing the impeachment complaint transmitted by the House of Representatives on Wednesday. During a press conference at Malacañang, Marcos clarified that there had been no official request from the Senate regarding the matter.
'If the senators ask for this, yes. Again, they will decide. We did not decide this,' President Marcos stated to reporters.Earlier on Thursday, former Senate President Franklin Drilon suggested that Marcos could convene Congress in a special session to enable the Senate to convene as an impeachment court. Wednesday witnessed a significant development in the impeachment proceedings when the House of Representatives voted to impeach Duterte, with 215 lawmakers endorsing the complaint to the upper chamber. However, the Senate proceeded on recess without engaging with the impeachment bid. Senate President Francis Escudero explained that a trial could not proceed while Congress was in recess, emphasizing the necessity for a Senate session before senators could be sworn in as jurors. He indicated that the earliest such session could occur on June 2, 2025, following the May elections.Escudero further elaborated that the senators who would serve as judges require adequate time to scrutinize the six articles of impeachment outlined in the complaint. He added that the Senate would also evaluate the applicability of existing impeachment rules and regulations to the trial concerning Duterte. Escudero firmly stated that the House of Representatives lacked the authority to pressure the Senate into initiating an impeachment trial. He questioned the rationale for rushing the trial when the House had deliberated on the complaint for two months prior to its submission to the Senate. Escudero underscored that the law prohibited convening a special Congress session during recess, emphasizing that such a session could only be called by the President when Congress needed to address an urgent pending bill. He clarified that the impeachment court was not independent of the Senate, thereby subject to the same congressional rules.Escudero also suggested that the vice president's impeachment trial might not occur during the current 19th Congress, potentially being deferred to the incoming 20th Congress, during which new Senate members would be elected in the May 12 senatorial race. Despite characterizing the impeachment trial as a political process, Escudero maintained that it remained within the Senate's purview and necessitated attention. He asserted, 'It doesn't matter whether we like it or find it convenient. The important thing is that the Constitution mandates our job responsibility. If it occurs, we will fulfill our role,' He further assured the public that the Senate would guarantee a fair verdict in the case, providing ample opportunity for both parties to present their arguments. As per the Constitution, the Senate holds the exclusive authority to conduct impeachment trials and render decisions. If two-thirds of the 23-member Senate, or 16 senators, vote for her conviction, Vice President Duterte could be removed from office and barred from seeking public positions in the future.The House resolution accused Duterte of 'violation of the constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.' Ilocos Norte Representative Sandro Marcos, the president's son, was the first to sign the final impeachment case. Regarding his son's involvement, President Marcos stated that he had merely advised Sandro to support the lower chamber's process and fulfill his duties as a lawmaker. 'I told him, 'the process has already begun. It's your duty now to support the process. So, do your duty.' That's what I told him. You are constitutionally mandated to support that process. You're a congressman so do your duty. I didn't know he'd be the first to sign,' he said. Marcos reiterated that the executive branch had 'no role' in the impeachment proceedings. He emphasized that both the House of Representatives and the Senate were obligated to address the impeachment complaints. 'The executive cannot have a hand in the impeachment. The executive does not have a role in the impeachment,' the president stated to reporters. 'Once the impeachment complaints were filed, the House and the Senate, they had no choice. Their hands are tied. They have to do this and they have to do it in recognition of again the complaints that have been filed. So, that's what happened now,' he added. The President had previously requested lawmakers in the lower chamber not to file an impeachment case against Duterte, prioritizing other matters. However, when asked if the House defied him, Marcos replied, 'It's not defiance. That is their belief.
Impeachment Senate House Of Representatives President Marcos Jr. Vice President Sara Duterte Constitution Special Session Congress
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