Escudero: No Senate reso filed to dismiss Sara Duterte impeachment trial
Senate President Francis Escudero —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — Is there an attempt to dismiss the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte?
Several senators, including Senate President Francis Escudero, have denied receiving a draft resolution allegedly seeking to dismiss the trial against Duterte.
Escudero said he was unaware of the existence of such a document.
“No such reso (resolution) filed nor pending as of last night when I left a little before 10 p.m.,” he told reporters in a text message on Wednesday.
A copy of an alleged draft of the resolution is supposedly being circulated among lawmakers, but as of writing, no senator has verified its authenticity.
The unverified resolution argues that the postponement of the reading of the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte from June 2 to June 11 leaves the current Congress “with no sufficient time to fully deliberate and resolve” the articles “as the matter cannot cross over to the incoming 20th Congress, which will convene on the fourth Monday of July 2025.”
It further claims that the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte “must necessarily be deemed de facto dismissed, by virtue of the inability of the Senate to properly consider the same because of the timing of the transmittal thereof by the House of Representatives.”
READ: Senators debate impeachment trial crossing into 20th Congress
Senators Joel Villanueva, JV Ejercito, Cynthia Villar, and Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said no such document has reached their respective offices.
For Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, there’s a big chance that the alleged draft of the resolution being circulated is “not authentic.”
“Even quotation of the constitutional provision is not accurate,” he added.
Duterte allies Senators Bong Go and Ronald dela Rosa are both mum when asked to comment on the existence of the draft resolution.
Lacson: ‘I received a copy’
In contrast, Senator-elect Panfilo Lacson said he had received a copy of the resolution.
“Taga Senate ang nagpadala sa akin at sinabi nga may iniikot na proposed resolution para pirmahan ng mga senador para madebate nila sa floor in case na makakuha ng signature. Resolution yan eh, pero kailangan pa rin i-tackle sa plenaryo at pag debatehan at kailangan kumuha ng majority na boto para ma-adopt ang resolution,” Lacson said in an interview over DZMM Radyo Patrol 630.
(Someone from the Senate sent it to me and said that a proposed resolution is being circulated for senators to sign, so it can be debated on the floor in case it gains enough signatures. It’s a resolution, but it still needs to be tackled in plenary, debated, and must get a majority vote to be adopted.)
‘Only one of the many drafts’
Meanwhile, presidential sister Senator Imee Marcos confirmed seeing several drafts of a resolution aimed at addressing questions raised in the pending impeachment case against Duterte.
One of these is an alleged draft seeking to declare the de facto dismissal of the impeachment case.
“One of the many drafts, each with a different purpose — I think that was the third one I saw. There are many versions, all trying to find the most effective and legally sound solution, one without loopholes,” she told reporters.
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives last Feb. 5.
On the same day, the Articles of Impeachment were transmitted from the House of Representatives to the Senate, but the upper chamber adjourned its session without addressing the document./mcm
