Manila, Philippines — Senate President Chiz Escudero has made it clear: There will be no impeachment trial for Vice President Sara Duterte while Congress is on recess. He also ruled out the possibility of calling a special session just to hold the trial, saying it would be against the law.
Why No Special Session?
Escudero explained that the law only allows a special session under specific situations, such as:
If the President declares Martial Law
If a new Vice President needs to take over the presidency due to the sitting President’s death or inability to perform duties
If there is an urgent bill that needs to be discussed
Since an impeachment trial does not fall under these situations, calling a special session for it would be unconstitutional.
What’s the Impeachment Case About?
On February 5, the House of Representatives officially impeached Vice President Sara Duterte on accusations of:
Betraying public trust
Violating the Constitution
Other alleged misconduct
A total of 215 lawmakers initially supported the impeachment complaint, with 25 more joining later.
Duterte’s Reaction
In response to the impeachment, Vice President Duterte kept her message short and sharp:
“God save the Philippines.”
For now, the Senate will not move forward with the trial until Congress is back in session, following the rules of the Constitution.
