Senate President Escudero says VP Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial can proceed despite NBI charges

Senate President Chiz Escudero stated Wednesday that the National Bureau of Investigation's (NBI) filing of criminal cases against Vice President Sara Duterte will not impact her impending impeachment trial.

Escudero clarified during a press briefing that both processes can proceed simultaneously and independently, emphasizing that the Senate’s role in conducting an impeachment trial is passive without investigative powers.

The NBI filed charges of inciting sedition and grave threats against Duterte following her threat made over a live stream press conference where she claimed to have hired someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were killed first.

Despite these allegations, Duterte denied making personal assassination threats against the president on February 7 and failed to appear before the NBI last year when asked to give a statement about her Zoom press conference.

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte earlier this month with over 200 congressmen and congresswomen endorsing the fourth impeachment complaint against her.