Vice President Sara Duterte. SCREENGRAB FROM SMNI CHANNEL VIDEO
MANILA, Philippines 鈥斅� The deans of five Ateneo schools and colleges of law have joined calls for the Senate to immediately commence the as mandated by the Constitution.
The joint statement was issued by the deans of Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, Xavier University鈥擜teneo de Cagayan School of Law,聽 Ateneo de Davao University College of Law, Ateneo de Zamboanga University College of Law, and Ateneo de Naga University College of Law.
鈥淲e confirm that as Jesuit, Filipino, and Catholic legal educational institutions, we are deeply committed in our teaching and formation missions to truth, justice, and the rule of law,鈥� they said.
Citing the Constitution, the deans reiterated that the trial by the Senate 鈥渟hall forthwith proceed without conditions or qualifications, and without equivocation or obstruction,鈥� after at least one-third of the lower chamber鈥檚 members filed and transmitted the articles of impeachment.
They also pointed out that the Senate is 鈥渁 continuing body as an impeachment court, which is a quasi-judicial function,鈥� which means that it is not considered a legislative function that could expire at the end of each Congress.
鈥淲e are making this urgent call in faithful response to our moral and spiritual duty as educators and formators of future Ateneo lawyers.聽 We pray that the Philippine Senate will likewise respond to its moral and constitutional duty as true servants of the public upon whom the public trust is reposed, one that is faithful to the truth and to the Filipino people,鈥� their statement reads.
Their call is based on their principles and stands as educators, Filipino citizens, and advocates of the rule of law.
EMBED: 20250608 Joint Statement from Ateneo Law Deans
鈥淥nce the impeachment trial commences, and beyond political colors and affiliations, we likewise urge and call on the Philippine Senate to remain impartial and non-partisan to ensure that the constitutional guarantees of due process and equal protection of the laws of the respondent are respected and safeguarded,鈥� they also stressed.
Call to the senators
Aside from Ateneo, the聽De La Salle University (DLSU) also made the same call to the senators 鈥� both of the 19th and the incoming 20th Congress 鈥斅� last week.
Over 100 faculty members of the University of the Philippines College of Law also urged the Senate not to abandon its constitutional duty to proceed with Duterte鈥檚 impeachment trial.
搁贰础顿:听Ateneo School of Gov鈥檛 urges Senate to push Sara Duterte impeach trial
Their call comes after Sen. Bato dela Rosa confirmed to the public that he initiated the creation of a resolution seeking to declare the 鈥渄e facto dismissal鈥� of the case against Duterte.
The resolution states that the postponement of the reading of the articles of impeachment against Duterte from June 2 to June 11 leaves the current Congress 鈥渨ith no sufficient time to fully deliberate and resolve鈥� the articles 鈥渁s the matter cannot cross over to the incoming 20th Congress which will convene on the fourth Monday of July 2025.鈥�
With this, the document states that the articles of impeachment against Duterte 鈥渕ust 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.鈥�
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in a historic move, which garnered over 200 signatures from lawmakers.
On the same day, Feb. 5, the articles of impeachment were transmitted from the House of Representatives to the Senate, but the upper chamber adjourned its session without tackling the document./mr