Romualdez: House ready to present case in VP trial

The House prosecution team is prepared to present its case should the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte start anytime, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, said on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines  — Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Wednesday that the House prosecution team is ready to present its case if the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte begins at any time.

In a statement a day after House officials visited the Senate where the trial would be held, Romualdez said this was the assurance to him by House prosecutors.

The House leader also thanked the Senate for accommodating the House’s request to check on the facilities, as it would allow lawmaker-prosecutors to fulfill their duties professionally.

“Ang report sa akin ng mga House prosecutors, handa na sila na mag-present ng kaso anumang oras buksan ang Impeachment Court (The House prosecutors reported to me that they are ready to present their case whatever time the Impeachment Court opens),” Romualdez said.

“The House prosecution panel will have the necessary facilities to conduct their work efficiently. We have the Senate to thank for this. It ensures that our representatives can fulfill their constitutional duty to present the impeachment case in a dignified and professional manner,” he added.

On Tuesday, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco and other House officials visited the Senate to inspect the facilities that will be allocated for the House prosecution team.

According to Romualdez, Senate President Francis Escudero has been cooperative in ensuring that the necessary preparations are done before the trial begins.

“Nakita natin sa pagbisita ng ating House Secretary General sa Senado ang kahandaan ng ating mga kasamahan sa Mataas na Kapulungan. Napakahalaga ng maaga at maayos na paghahanda upang matiyak ang kaayusan pagdating ng impeachment trial,” he said.

(We saw from the visit of our House Secretary-General to the Senate that our colleagues in the upper chamber are preparing.  It is important to prepare now and prepare properly to ensure order once the impeachment trial starts.)

“The Senate, led by Senate President Escudero, has taken decisive steps to ensure that all necessary preparations are in place. This level of coordination between the House and the Senate is vital in upholding our democratic processes,” Romualdez said.

Duterte was impeached by the House last February 5, after 215 lawmakers filed and verified a fourth impeachment complaint, hinged on several issues like alleged misuse of confidential funds lodged within her offices, threats to ranking officials including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and conduct unbecoming of a Vice President.

The articles of impeachment were immediately transmitted to the Senate, as the 1987 Constitution requires a trial to start forthwith if at least one-third of all House members — in this case, 102 out of 306 —  have signed and endorsed the petition.

However, the trial has yet to start as the articles of impeachment were not forwarded to the Senate plenary before the session ended on February 5 — which means that Congress would have to reconvene first after the election season, or through a special session to discuss the matter.

Several lawmakers, including members of the prosecution team, previously said that while they respect the Senate’s stand on the matter, they want the impeachment trial to start at the soonest possible time.

Recently, Escudero said that the trial would start by July 30 — with the new set of lawmakers after the 2025 midterm elections sitting as senator-judges.

There have been concerns, however, with the trial being set as late as July.  Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said that Duterte would benefit the most from the delay, as it may be indicative of a culture of impunity, where observations made by different House committees are not given much weight.

Romualdez, meanwhile clarified that the impeachment proceedings will be conducted in compliance with the Constitution.

“We are here to follow the process laid out in our Constitution. The House has done its part in impeaching the Vice President, and now it is up to the Senate to conduct a fair trial based on facts and evidence,” he said

“This is about ensuring that our democratic institutions remain strong, credible, and accountable to the Filipino people. I trust that the Senate will exercise its role as the impeachment court with the utmost fairness and independence,” Romualdez added.

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