MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis Escudero on Thursday underscored the authority of the Senate sitting as an impeachment court, saying the House of Representatives must comply with its decisions, particularly regarding the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
This comes after House Speaker Martin Romualdez raised concern over the Senate’s decision to return the articles of impeachment to the House.
“That is the decision of the impeachment court. As prosecutors, they should respect and follow that. The same goes for Vice President Sara; she should respect and follow the summons issued by the impeachment court,” Escudero told reporters.
Escudero emphasized that the House, acting as the complainant or prosecution team in the process, cannot overrule the impeachment court’s directives.
“The House is in no place to defy the orders of the impeachment court. This is not a bicam where we need to agree. This is the order of the impeachment court directed to the prosecutor, who is only a party to the case. The party and the Court are not equal,” he said.
The Senate convened as an impeachment court on June 10, a day earlier than initially scheduled, to deliberate on a motion by Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa that sought to dismiss the case outright. However, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano introduced a motion to instead return the articles of impeachment, not to end the proceedings, but to clarify two key constitutional issues.
Cayetano’s motion requires:
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A certification from the House confirming that the impeachment complaint does not breach the constitutional provision barring more than one impeachment proceeding against the same official within a year;
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A communication from the House indicating its readiness to pursue the case against the Vice President.
The Senate’s action effectively puts the next move in the hands of the House, while asserting its jurisdiction over the process. As the impeachment court, Escudero insisted, the Senate holds the final say on how proceedings are conducted.
