Tolentino proposes 19-day impeachment trial for VP Duterte

National

IN WHAT could be one of the fastest impeachment proceedings in Philippine history, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino is proposing a 19-day timetable to hear and resolve the case against Vice President Sara Duterte before the 19th Congress concludes on June 30.

Tolentino said the Senate has the constitutional authority to revise its procedural rules to allow a swift but fair impeachment trial, provided the Vice President’s legal rights are upheld. He believes the chamber can adopt expedited trial rules in an open session without causing delay, as long as there is cooperation from both the House prosecutors and Duterte’s legal team.

He outlined a day-by-day schedule that would begin on June 11 with the convening of the impeachment court and the immediate issuance of summons. By June 21, Duterte would be expected to submit her reply to the Articles of Impeachment, followed by the prosecution’s response the next day.

Opening statements would be delivered on June 23 after both sides submit their trial briefs that morning. The presentation of evidence would begin on June 24 and end on June 26, with one day allocated for rebuttals and another for oral arguments. Deliberations by the senator-judges would take place behind closed doors on June 29, leading to a verdict the following day.

“This is not a summary procedure, but we need the cooperation of the prosecution,” Tolentino said in a Philstar report, adding that while the complaint has not yet been referred to his committee, he intends to raise the matter in plenary.

He also suggested narrowing down the scope of the trial to the most substantial charges, similar to what was done in past impeachment cases. According to him, focusing on two or three of the five articles would significantly speed up the process.

Tolentino further noted that the Vice President’s legal team had ample time to prepare a response since the articles were transmitted to the Senate in February, and may already have a draft prepared. While the standard reply period is ten days, he said shortening it to five, if the defense agrees, would facilitate a smoother timeline.

His proposed schedule is anchored on his interpretation that all business of the 19th Congress, including impeachment, must conclude before the session ends. He asserted that the moment the clock strikes midnight on June 30, the impeachment case would be rendered “functionally dismissed.”

This interpretation, however, is not without challenge.

Incoming Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno argued that impeachment proceedings are distinct from legislative measures, which do lapse with the close of a congressional term.

Diokno stressed that the Senate's role as an impeachment court is “entirely separate, distinct and special,” and therefore not bound by the same expiration rules that apply to pending legislation.

He warned that dismissing the trial through a mere resolution or continued inaction would erode public trust in democratic institutions and weaken the principle of checks and balances. According to him, the Senate has a constitutional duty to complete the trial once it is underway, regardless of the legislative calendar.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also cautioned against further delays, expressing concern that the Senate’s credibility is on the line.

He noted that public calls for the abolition of the chamber, long dismissed as fringe, could intensify if the body is perceived as shirking its constitutional responsibilities.

“Those calls might get louder because we refuse to do our job,” he said in a radio interview.

Pressure on the Senate has also mounted from academic and legal circles.

In a rare collective statement, five deans from Ateneo-affiliated law schools across the country joined the call for immediate action. Jose Maria Hofileña of Ateneo de Manila University, Manuel Quibod of Ateneo de Davao, Domnina Rances of Ateneo de Naga, Silva Jo Sabio of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, and Corazon Montemor of Ateneo de Zamboanga urged the Senate to begin the impeachment trial without further delay.

In their statement, they emphasized the constitutional principle that public office is a public trust and called for a process that ensures both accountability and due process.

Echoing this appeal, Adamson University officials, led by its president Fr. Daniel Franklin Pilario, C.M., issued a sharply worded statement urging the Senate to act decisively. They warned that the chamber had already “procrastinated far too long” and must move forward with the proceedings as mandated by the Constitution. “This is not the time for neutrality or passive observation; this is the time for principled leadership and decisive action,” the university said.

The Articles of Impeachment are scheduled to be read on the Senate floor on June 11, which could mark the beginning of a high-stakes legal and political sprint.

Whether the Senate adopts Tolentino’s fast-track framework or takes a different course may determine not only the outcome of the case, but also the institutional credibility of the chamber itself.(MyTVCebu)