Escudero takes oath as presiding officer of Sara Duterte trial

MANILA, Philippines —  Senate President Francis Escudero took his oath as the presiding officer of the impeachment court for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impending impeachment trial.

The development transpired during the chamber’s plenary session on Monday.

Sen. Joel Villanueva, who initially made the motion, repeatedly clarified that despite this development, the chamber is “not yet convened as a court.”

It took hours before the senators reached an agreement, but the first to question Villanueva’s motion was former top cop turned lawmaker Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who sought clarification on whether the impeachment court would be convened on Monday evening or on Wednesday as initially scheduled.

Villanueva affirmed Dela Rosa’s question. Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel explained that once the senator-judges take their oaths, the chamber is automatically convened as an impeachment court.

“That is already convening the court as far as this representation is concerned,” Pimentel said.

Villanueva, however, said he was standing firm by his manifestation, noting that it was made after consultations with several senators.

Dela Rosa interjected once again, saying that if the oathtaking would automatically convene the impeachment court, he would move to have it done on Wednesday instead of Monday.

“I move that we make our oath on the 11th as originally scheduled,” he said.

Villanueva still insisted that the convening would not be held on Monday.

Before Escudero could take his oath as presiding officer, the Senate agreed to refer to the committee on rules the articles of impeachment filed against Duterte.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the minority bloc gave way for the Senate to refer the impeachment complaints to a proper panel before they take oath.

“That’s a natural effect that if our presiding officer takes an oath, we as senator-judges would also take our oaths tomorrow. That’s a natural effect because we have constituted an impeachment court,” she added.

The discussion on whether the Senate should convene as an impeachment court arose after the minority bloc moved for immediate action on the complaints against Duterte.

It was Pimentel who formally requested the Senate to convene as an impeachment court to try the case against Duterte, citing the chamber’s constitutional duty.

READ: Pimentel moves for convening of Senate impeachment court

He moved for the following:

• That the Senate’s legislative business be suspended;

• That the Senate convenes as the impeachment court;

• That the Senate president immediately take his oath as presiding officer of the impeachment court;

• That thereafter, the Senate president-presiding officer, administers the oath or affirmation to all the members of the Senate now present;

• That the impeachment court then call the impeachment case against the vice president and come up with a calendar for the trial thereof;

• That on June 10, 2025 at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the impeachment court call the impeachment case for the presentation and reading of the Articles of Impeachment by the panel of prosecutors of the House of Representatives; and

• That thereafter, the writ of summons be issued to the impeached officer.

As agreed on the chamber’s floor, Senator-judges are set to take their respective oaths on Tuesday, June 10 at 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Senate will convene as an impeachment court on Wednesday, June 11, as initially scheduled./das/mcm