Gatchalian: Without TRO, no stopping impeachment trial

MANILA, Philippines — Unless restrained by the Supreme Court (SC), there is no stopping the Senate from proceeding with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte next week.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said the chamber would fulfill its constitutional mandate to try and decide the case, regardless of pending petitions seeking to nullify the proceedings or a potential boycott by the defense panel.

He issued the statement amid a petition for a restraining order filed with the SC by former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez, and a petition for a status quo ante order on the voting numbers to convict, which lawyer Ernesto Francisco Jr. filed yesterday.

Asked about the possibility of Duterte’s defense team skipping the trial, Gatchalian maintained that the Senate’s work continues.

He also affirmed that the Senate would strictly follow the new ruling on the conviction threshold denominator, stating that “the court made that decision so we will follow it.”

Impeachment court spokesman Reginald Tongol said the trial would proceed as scheduled on Monday – from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – despite Malacañang’s declaration of a half-day work suspension for the 34th National Family Week.

Duterte was mum over the impeachment court’s ruling on allowing a lower number of votes to convict her.

“I’ll just leave it to the spokesperson of the defense team,” Duterte said.

She said that there is still no decision for her to attend the impeachment trial as the Senate impeachment court has yet to issue a subpoena.

“Impeachment is a legal process and the presence of my lawyers there is my appearance and participation,” she said. — Daphne Galvez, Helen Flores, Bella Cariaso