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.
