The recent change in Senate leadership has raised concerns that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte could face delays or procedural complications as the case moves to the upper chamber.
Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co said the public, particularly the youth, should closely monitor how the Senate will handle the trial after the House of Representatives transmitted the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.
The House voted 257-25-9 to impeach the Vice President for the second time in two years, sending the case to the Senate for trial.
Speaking at the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant, Co said the House Committee on Justice had already fulfilled its mandate through a process she described as “conservative yet fair.”
“I’d like to sum it up with two words: conservative yet fair,” Co said, referring to the eight hearings conducted by the committee after several citizens’ impeachment complaints were filed.
She emphasized that the assessment came from the Makabayan bloc, which belongs to the minority, and not from the House leadership.
“Galing na po ito sa taga-minorya, na taga-Makabayan bloc, and hindi po sa leadership ng House Committee on Justice,” Co said.
Co said the committee took a careful approach even on disputed issues, including sealed Bureau of Internal Revenue documents and the impeachment complaint sponsored by Makabayan. She said the panel’s caution was meant to protect the process from procedural challenges.
“Hindi naman natin iyun tini-take against dun sa process. Alam natin na yung stance ng committee on the record ay fair, conservative para po hindi mahahanapan ng butas,” she said.
The impeachment articles now before the Senate include allegations involving the misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, unexplained wealth and suspicious financial transactions, alleged bribery involving Department of Education officials, and alleged grave threats and inciting to sedition.
Co said the focus should now shift to the Senate, especially after the leadership change, which she said could affect three crucial areas: the pace of the proceedings, the conduct of the trial, and the final vote.
She warned against a repeat of the 19th Congress, when a previous impeachment case against Duterte failed to proceed to trial.
“Ano ba yung tatlo na inasahan natin? One, delay in the process. Yung reinterpretation [ni Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano] ng word na ‘forthwith.’ Two, ‘yung conduct of the trial itself,” Co said.
She cited the impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada, particularly the debate over whether to open an envelope containing evidence, as an example of how Senate decisions during trial can influence public trust.
“Will we see the same for this trial? Sana naman hindi, kaya ‘yan ‘yung mga iniisip ng mga mamamayang Pilipino,” she said.
Co said the third concern is the outcome of the vote, noting that conviction requires the support of two-thirds of all senators.
“And even number three, yung resulta botohan. Two-thirds yung kailangan. Ilan yan? Kung meron lang sapat na numero, baka in the end, ma-acquit si VP Sara,” she said.
For Co, the Senate must allow the impeachment process to run its full course and ensure that every step complies with the law and established rules.
“Ang sa atin naman, nagsimula na ang process. So galangin hanggang dulo at mangyari yung bawat step of the process in a way na hindi binabali at binabalikad yung batas at yung regulasyon,” she said.