The impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte remain on track despite ongoing legal and political tensions surrounding the Senate leadership dispute, a House lawmaker said Tuesday.
House Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairperson and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude A. Acidre said the case will proceed unless the Supreme Court issues a contrary ruling, stressing that constitutional processes remain intact despite institutional disagreements.
“Filipinos should not lose confidence in the impeachment process. Our institutions are designed precisely for moments like this,” Rep. Acidre said. “The Supreme Court can resolve legal questions, the Senate can conduct the trial, and the Filipino people can finally hear the evidence and judge for themselves whether their trust remains deserved.”
He emphasized that the Senate leadership issue is separate from the impeachment proceedings and should not be seen as affecting the validity of the Articles of Impeachment.
“The petition concerns the leadership row in the Senate, not the impeachment process itself,” he said.
Former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies have filed an 87-page petition before the Supreme Court seeking to reverse recent Senate leadership changes, including a status quo ante order that would restore the chamber’s previous leadership structure and committee assignments.
The petition also challenges the recent reorganization, describing it as destabilizing to institutional order.
Rep. Acidre stressed that the impeachment complaint has already complied with constitutional requirements and remains valid regardless of internal Senate disputes.
“The Articles of Impeachment were approved by an overwhelming majority of House Members and formally transmitted to the Senate in accordance with the correct processes,” he said.
He also cautioned against conflating institutional disagreements with constitutional paralysis.
“We should not confuse legal disagreement with constitutional paralysis,” Rep. Acidre said.
According to him, all branches of government retain their mandates and can function simultaneously despite legal challenges.
“The Supreme Court has its role. The Senate has its role. The House has fulfilled its role and is ready to prosecute its case before whomever holds the gavel of the impeachment court,” he said. “Each institution can perform its constitutional duty without undermining the others. That is how a functioning democracy works.”
Rep. Acidre added that the impeachment process remains on track unless the Supreme Court intervenes.
“The impeachment process remains on track unless the Supreme Court says otherwise,” he said.
He appealed for public trust in constitutional mechanisms, saying these institutions are designed to resolve disputes and ensure accountability.