Pimentel to draft impeachment rules

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III will draft proposed and revised rules for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to help speed up the process.

Pimentel's office will submit the proposed rules after Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino challenged him to start drafting them if he was in a rush.

Pimentel stated that senators have a constitutional duty that comes before anything else, including their campaigns for the upcoming midterm polls.

Both Pimentel, who is running for a congressional seat, and Tolentino, who is seeking another Senate term, are campaigning for the May elections.

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero previously indicated that the impeachment trial against Duterte would begin after President Bongbong Marcos' fourth State of the Nation Address in July.

Escudero emphasized that the Senate does not intend to delay the proceeding despite calls from various organizations and groups.