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MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Robin Padilla filed on Monday, June 9, a resolution seeking to shut down the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.
A known Duterte ally, Padilla filed Senate Resolution 1371 urging the Senate to declare the impeachment process as terminated.
"Kahit sunugin mo ako dito, mangangamoy Rodrigo Roa Duterte ako (Even if you burn me here, I will smell like Rodrigo Roa Duterte)," the senator said.
He largely anchored his resolution on Sen. Francis Tolentino’s earlier manifestation during the June 2 plenary, arguing that there is not enough time to begin and conclude the proceedings before the 19th Congress adjourns on June 13.
“WHEREAS, both houses of the Congress of the Philippines adjourn sine die on 13 June 2025, pursuant to Section 15, Article VI of the Constitution,” the resolution read.
The argument. Tolentino contended that the Senate lacks continuity, unlike the U.S. Constitution and 1the 935 Philippine Constitution, which guarantees enough holdover members to try impeachment cases.
The 1987 Constitution, he argued, leaves the chamber with only 12 sitting senators after each election, making continuity questionable.
Sen. Koko Pimentel, who debated with Tolentino, countered that the current Constitution contains no provision preventing impeachment proceedings from spanning successive Congresses.
RELATED: Tolentino, Pimentel spar over Sara impeachment, citing constitutional gaps
Padilla also invoked Section 123 of the Senate Rules under Article XLIV, which provides that all unfinished matters are terminated at the end of a Congress and, if revived, must be reintroduced as new items in the next legislative session.
The articles of impeachment, which were transmitted to the Senate on February 5 — the same day 215 House members impeached Duterte — have not yet been tackled formally during session.
“WHEREAS, from all foregoing, it is indubitably clear that the matter of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice-President Sara Zimmerman Duterte and its consideration by the present Senate cannot be fully accomplished by the expiration of the Nineteenth Congress on 30 June 2025, thereby resulting in its termination,” the resolution read.
Counterarguments. Pimentel, along with several legal experts and members of the academic community, argued that what ends with the Congress is its Senate’s legislative role.
However, when the Senate convenes as an impeachment court, it takes on a distinct role — a political process that need not be bound by the term limits of Congress.
Critics have called out the Senate for dragging its feet on the impeachment trial: first by waiting for session to resume, then by postponing it to June 11, the chamber’s final plenary day.
Supreme Court petitions. Legal petitions have been filed by both sides of the impeachment issue. Duterte herself petitioned the Supreme Court to void the impeachment, claiming the House violated the one-year, one-case rule by endorsing multiple complaints against the same official.
Her allies likewise petitioned the high court to stop the Senate trial, while opposing petitioners asked the Supreme Court to order the Senate to proceed without delay, citing constitutional grounds.
Clamor to start trial. Public opinion surveys have also shown that most Filipinos, at least seven in every 10, want Duterte to face her charges before the Senate — whether to clear her name or to be held accountable.
Padilla’s resolution is not exactly the first draft of an attempt to kill the trial. Sen. Bato dela Rosa, who is also aligned with the Dutertes, admitted last week to preparing a resolution.
With just three session days left, the Senate has decided to vote on whether to convene as an impeachment court today or on June 11 as rescheduled.
