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Strong, credible voices reverberate vs ‘delay’ in Sara Duterte trial

Strong, credible voices reverberate vs ‘delay’ in Sara Duterte trial

Provided by INQUIRER.net.

Strong, credible voices reverberate vs ‘delay’ in Sara Duterte trial
SARA DUTERTE composite image from INQUIRER FILE


The 1987 Constitution explicitly provided that when a verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by one-third of the House of Representatives, the same shall constitute the articles of impeachment, “and trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed.”

But it was only on Monday, June 9, that the Senate referred the case to its Committee on Rules and decided that Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero take his oath as presiding officer of the impeachment court.

RELATED STORY: Sara Duterte impeachment: What you need to know

Eventually, he would administer the oath of senator-judges on Tuesday, June 10.

However, while the Senate initially pointed out that it will only constitute itself as an impeachment court on Wednesday, June 11, it did a day earlier so that it could decide on the motion initiated by Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to dismiss the case.

A stark contrast to how Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel and Sen. Risa Hontiveros struggled to have the Senate convene not on the day the session would end, Dela Rosa triggered the start of the proceedings with ease.

READ: Sara Duterte impeachment court opens, but raps ‘remanded’ to House

But just as some were celebrating that the Senate was already set to act all out on the complaint against impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, it remanded the case to the House of Representatives.

This, as Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano proposed it as an amendment to Dela Rosa’s motion, which, some said, would violate Section 3, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, which did not provide that the Senate can dismiss an impeachment case, only try and decide.

RELATED STORY: House to seek clarity on Senate’s remand before receiving case

Pimentel, Hontiveros, Sen. Nancy Binay, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, and Sen. Grace Poe objected, with Pimentel and Hontiveros pointing out that the said remand is already tantamount to dismissal.

Cayetano, however, made clear that it is not.

READ: Palace: People see who’s ‘playing around’ with rules

A day later, people crowded the streets leading to the Senate complex in Pasay City to protest yet another delay in the impeachment proceedings against Duterte, who is accused of misusing the confidential funds of her office and the Department of Education.

Strong, credible voices reverberate vs ‘delay’ in Sara Duterte trial





Strong, credible voices reverberate vs ‘delay’ in Sara Duterte trial
GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/INQUIRER.net


Wednesday, June 11, has been the third day since protesters started converging to call on the Senate to “stop delaying” the impeachment proceedings, reverberating the stand of some institutions, and even individuals involved in the creation of the 1987 Constitution.



  • UP College of Law


The first to release a letter addressed to the Senate, the UP College of Law expressed “grave concern with proposals to declare the impeachment case [...] as functionally or de facto dismissed, saying that “a premature dismissal will undermine the core democratic principle of checks and balances.”

“Post-1987, impeachments have been the venue for the most important national conversations on good governance and the standards we, the sovereign Filipino people, impose on our highest officials,” it said. “Let the truth unfold.”

Established in 1911, the UP College of Law has already produced 6,000 graduates, and some of them have been presidents, vice presidents, senators, speakers and members of the House of Representatives, justices of the Supreme Court, government secretaries, academics, and leaders in the different areas of the legal profession.



  • Philippine Bar Association


The oldest voluntary national organization of lawyers in the Philippines, with a member, lawyer Neri Colmenares, recognized in 2020 by the International Bar Association for “Outstanding Contribution to Human Rights”, it stated that the text of the 1987 Constitution is clear.

“It bears no ambiguity, except that which is now being forced upon it [...] ‘Trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed’ is as direct as it can be. Reasonable people can disagree on how fast ‘forthwith’ means but, it is safe to say it does not mean several months of delay.

And it most certainly does not mean, ‘only if the majority allows the trial to be held.”

The Philippine Bar Association traces its roots to the Colegio de Abogados de Filipinas organized in 1891 and the Bar Association organized by American lawyers in the Philippines in 1900. Since then, it has stood as a fervent advocate for the Rule of Law and the integrity of democratic institutions.



  • Ateneo School of Government


An institution with a vision to produce effective and ethical government officials, it stressed that the impeachment process is the “primary mechanism to ensure that our elected officials would remain faithful to their sworn duty to serve the public with dedication, commitment, and most importantly, integrity.

“We remind our Senators that they are public servants and their mandate is based on the people’s trust. We pray that they would remain true to what the Senate institution stands for: upholding the Constitution, promoting democratic values, and serving the national interest,” it said as it highlighted the need for “ethical leadership in public service.”

The Ateneo School of Government is “home” to the think tank Ateneo Policy Center, which is tasked with responding to emerging political, economic, and social issues by producing policy research, providing technical assistance to public and private sector actors, and hosting evidence-based policy discussions.



  • UP Department of Political Science


The only Commission on Higher Education Center of Excellence in Political Science and “home” to eminent academics delivering the best instruction in the discipline, it stated that while impeachment is inherently political, it need not be politicized.

“Politics in the best, most democratic sense—as the practice of accountability and pursuit of the public good—requires that public officials be held to the highest standards of integrity [...] If the Senate does not immediately hold the Vice-President accountable, then it would be tantamount to stifling the people's right to know the truth,” it said.

This, as based on the latest data from OCTA Research, 78 percent of Filipinos want Duterte “to clear her name by responding to the [impeachment] charges against her. Only 13 percent said she should not be tried, while nine percent were not certain or did not yet have an answer.



  • De La Salle University - Tañada-Diokno School of Law


One of the leading private law schools in the Philippines, it pointed out that “the impeachment trial is not a mere formality: “The charges are serious. If left unexamined, they risk eroding trust not just in one office, but in the very foundations of democratic governance.

The De La Salle University’s Department of Political Science and Development Studies, which was established to promote academic inquiry into the problems confronting the Philippines, said “the continued inaction not only erodes public trust in our democratic institutions but also makes a mockery of the mechanisms for accountability enshrined in our Constitution.”

Back in 2023, a paper co-authored by members of the department won the Best Research Paper award given by the Asian Political and International Studies Association and the Rosenberg Institute for East Asia of Suffolk University in Boston.



  • Makati Business Club


Established in 1981, the Makati Business Club, which opposed the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and helped restore democracy in 1986, said “the impeachment trial is meant to present evidence to determine if the charges against [Duterte] have basis or not.”

It pointed out that they view the issue as a governance issue and a test of public accountability and the Rule of Law. “If we do not follow the Rule of Law, how can we expect to attract foreign and even local investors to bring in long term investments, which would lead to the creation of jobs?

The Makati Business Club MBC also run, organized, or helped organize the Coalition Against Corruption, Project Shine, and the Integrity Initiative; the Right to Know Coalition, which its Freedom of Information initiative continues to work with; and other movements to promote and defend freedom and democracy.



  • Philippine Society for Public Administration


A leading non-profit professional organization dedicated to the improvement of public service, it stated that “We stand for the Rule of Law, the supremacy of the Constitution, and the public’s right to transparent and accountable governance.”

“The public deserves to know the truth. In a democratic society, truth and accountability are cornerstones of trust in government. All institutions, including the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary, must act in accordance with the Constitution and uphold due process at all times,” it said.

“As a professional organization committed to advancing ethical public service and strengthening democratic institutions, the PSPA calls on all parties to respect the legal processes and allow the constitutional mechanisms to take their proper course. Let this be a moment of institutional maturity, not political division.”

RELATED STORY: VP Sara Duterte ordered to answer impeachment case against her

These statements, inter alia, such as those from the San Beda University Graduate School of Law, Philippine Sociological Society, Philippine Political Science Association, University of Santo Tomas, and Adamson University preceded the move by Pimentel and Hontiveros to have the Senate convene as an impeachment court.

READ: ‘Whimsical, despotic, arbitrary’: Prominent lawyer slams Senate return of case vs Sara Duterte

Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, likewise told the Senate : “The search for truth is not a political agenda; it is a moral imperative. Let conscience guide your actions. Let the truth take its course.”

“To delay, dismiss, or ignore such a process for reasons of political convenience is to betray the Constitution and the people’s trust,” he said.

(2025/06/12-13:08)

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