PROGRESSIVE group Bayan and other civil society organizations launched another protest march in front of the Senate building Wednesday, June 11, 2025, following the motion being carried out by the impeachment court to "return" the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives.
“What the Senate did tonight is unacceptable. After dribbling the ball for 4 months, the senate sought to pass the ball back to the Lower House. It is a shameless abdication of their constitutional mandate that will not be soon forgotten,” said Renato Reyes Jr., president of Bayan.
“Those in power have again chosen to uphold impunity and set aside accountability,” he added.
Lawyer Aaron Pedrosa, secretary general of sectoral group Sanlakas, said the “refusal of the Senate to try the impeachment complaint forthwith is leaving us with no other option but direct action.”
“If the highest officials cannot be held to account in the same mechanism supposedly intended to check and balance abuse of power, let history remind us that a people oppressed cannot be contained by legalese,” he said.
“As the Senate fails us, we are goaded to once again exercise our sovereign will. Remember Edsa 2. The officialdom should shudder in fear when the people decide to try the case themselves,” added the activist lawyer in a separate statement.
With 18 affirmative votes, five negative, and 0 abstentions, the impeachment court voted to remand the articles of impeachment due to certain clarifications, but not dismissing it.
The five who voted against the motion were Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, Senator Risa Hontiveros, Senator Grace Poe, Senator Nancy Binay, and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. (Ronald O. Reyes/SunStar Philippines)