Delaying Sara Duterte’s impeachment goes against Constitution’s ‘forthwith’ order, says Pimentel

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May 30, 2025 | 4:02pm

MANILA, Philippines — Outgoing Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel criticized the Senate’s decision to delay the start of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment proceedings, moving it from June 2 to June 11.

Senate President Francis Escudero explained that the Senate needed to prioritize the passage of key legislation before it adjourns on June 14.

However, Pimentel, who has been pushing for the impeachment proceedings to begin since February, said that Escudero had already set June 2 as the original start date, suggesting that the schedule was being moved unnecessarily.

“The Constitution says that [the impeachment trial] must be done immediately,” Pimentel told reporters in Filipino.  

“Hindi na ‘yan in the spirit of forthwith (That is not in the spirit of forthwith),” he added. 

Pimentel is referring to the Article XI, Section 4 in the 1987 Constitution that states: “In case the verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of all the Members of the House, the same shall constitute the Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed.”

Pimentel said that the Senate’s legislative agenda and its impeachment agenda are different. 

The spirit of the existing impeachment rules of the Senate said that if the schedule is full, the impeachment still must take priority. 

The rules are written in a way that already anticipates a heavy legislative load.

Pimentel also noted that Escudero had already crafted a schedule that balanced both legislative work and impeachment proceedings, allocating mornings for legislative sessions and afternoons for the impeachment trial.

The nine-day delay in the impeachment trial wasted time, as Duterte could have already provided her answer to the charges. 

However, Senate Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada disagreed with Pimentel’s position, saying that the Senate needed to prioritize the creation of laws. 

“While among the functions and responsibilities of the Senate is to act as an impeachment court, its primary mandate is to legislate – to craft, deliberate, and pass laws that promote the general welfare of the people,”  Estrada said in a statement. 

Duterte is currently facing an impeachment case due to alleged corruption in the Office of the Vice President.