SENATOR Risa Hontiveros said Monday, June 9, 2025, that the Senate minority bloc, which includes her and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, will formally move for the commencement of the opening rites in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a press conference, Hontiveros said that during the plenary session Monday afternoon, June 9, 2025, they will move to allow Senate President Francis Escudero to take his oath as the presiding officer of the impeachment court and to administer the prescribed oath to all members of the Senate who will serve as judges in the trial, in accordance with the Constitution.
She said they will also move for the Senate to convene as an impeachment court, as well as for the presentation of the Articles of Impeachment received from the House of Representatives in February.
Hontiveros said these proceedings will not take more than an hour.
“The Senate must not be heedless and callous to the growing calls for the institution to fulfill its mandate and begin the impeachment trial. Nandiyan ang simbahan at iba't ibang grupong relihiyoso. Ang mga abogado. Ang mga law schools at unibersidad. Ang mismong mga bumalangkas ng ating Saligang Batas — sina former Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna, Rene Sarmiento and Christian Monsod — lahat sila nagsasabing kumilos na dapat ang Senado,” Hontiveros said.
(There are the Church and various religious groups. The lawyers. The law schools and universities. Even the very framers of our Constitution — former Supreme Court Associate Justices Adolfo Azcuna, Rene Sarmiento, and Christian Monsod — all of them are saying that the Senate should act now.)
“Hindi dapat tayo ang maging unang Senado na bumalewala sa Konstitusyon at sa panawagan ng taumbayan, para lang makaiwas sa proseso ng impeachment. Our people would be severely disappointed in us. History would judge us even more harshly. Hindi ako papayag na ang mismong Senado pa, under this 19th Congress, ang susuway
sa Saligang Batas,” she added.
(We must not be the first Senate to disregard the Constitution and the call of the people merely to avoid the impeachment process. Our people would be deeply disappointed in us, and history would judge us even more harshly. I will not allow the Senate itself, under this 19th Congress, to defy the Constitution.)
Duterte’s impeachment revolves around six major allegations, each linked to alleged violations of the 1987 Constitution, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and other laws.
It includes her alleged involvement in a conspiracy to assassinate President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., his wife, and Romualdez; the malversation of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as secretary from 2022 to 2024; and bribery and corruption within the DepEd.
Also cited in the complaints were VP Duterte’s unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets; her alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings, particularly during her time as Mayor of Davao City; and her participation in acts of destabilization, insurrection, and public disorder
The reading of impeachment complaints against Duterte, which was supposed to have started on June 2, was pushed back to June 11.
Escudero said the postponement was brought about by the need to prioritize the passage of the items in the administration's legislative agenda before the 19th Congress adjourned sine die on June 14.
Senator Ronald dela Rosa earlier admitted drafting a resolution seeking the dismissal of the impeachment case against Duterte.
As of Monday morning, Escudero said no such resolution has been filed in the Senate yet.
In a statement, the defense team of Duterte stood firm that the initiation of the impeachment process, particularly the Fourth Impeachment Complaint, suffers from serious constitutional infirmiries.
“The impeachment process must never be weaponized to harass, silence, or eliminate political opponents. It is a constitutional mechanism, not a political tool,” they said.
“Nevertheless, should the Senate choose to proceed, we stand ready to confront the charges and expose the baselessness of the accusations against the Vice President,” they added. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)