Senate receives Articles of Impeachment vs VP Sara Duterte

The Senate has received the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, supported by over 200 House members.

Senate President Francis Escudero stated that there is no legal basis to hold a special session for the impeachment trial, as Congress is currently on a break.

He clarified that a special session can only be convened by the President, or by the Senate President and Speaker of the House for specific constitutional circumstances.

Escudero previously indicated that the impeachment trial cannot proceed during the current Congress' break, which ends on June 2.

He will lead the drafting of new rules for the impeachment trial, as the current ones have not been updated since the impeachment of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona.

The pre-trial work is expected to be finalized by the end of the 19th Congress in June, potentially extending into the 20th Congress, with the trial commencing then.

Vice President Sara Duterte has denied making threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., cited as a ground for impeachment, and allegations of misuse of confidential funds and bribery were mentioned as previously tackled in committee hearings.