The process has begun in the upper chamber.
On Monday, May 18, by virtue of a motion read out by Acting Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano officially declared the convening of the Impeachment Court in relation to the case of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The Senate of the Philippines, as mandated by the constitution, will try the second highest government official in the country and the Articles of Impeachment filed against her, which were transmitted by the House of Representatives last Wednesday.
After a suspension, the senator-judges took their oaths, with Cayetano’s administered by Senator Camille Villar.
During the brief session, Duterte’s camp was instructed by the court to file a response within a non-extendable period of 10 days, with the Vice President ordered to appear before the Impeachment Court upon notice.
Meanwhile, the House prosecution panel will file its reply within a non-extendable period of five days from receipt of the Vice President’s response.
Prior to this, the Senate, through viva voce, elected Atty. Jose Luis Montales as the new Senate Secretary in its plenary session, succeeding Sec. Mark Llandro “Dong” Mendoza who resigned from the post.
Montales will be overseeing the chamber’s daily operations, extend legislative support to the offices of the senators, and sit as the Clerk of Court for the Impeachment Court.
In the same plenary session, Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and JV Ejercito also formally aligned themselves with the minority bloc of former Senate President Tito Sotto, officially dividing the house to 13 members of majority and 11 on the other side.