Escudero may return as VP impeach trial presiding officer – Lacson

Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero was also the presiding officer of the short-lived 2025 impeachment court.—PNA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero may return as presiding officer of the impeachment court that will try the case of Vice President Sara Duterte in July, following a consensus among members of the majority bloc.

“Per our consensus as of this morning, we will elect Sen. Chiz Escudero if we convene again as an impeachment court, to be the presiding officer,” Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said at the sidelines of the Senate’s special session on Wednesday.

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When asked why they are considering Escudero for the post, Lacson replied: “He’s a lawyer and has experience with the impeachment process.”

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READ: Impeachment votes don’t always haunt senators, history shows

If appointed, this will mark Escudero’s return as presiding officer of an impeachment trial against Duterte. His stint in June 2025 was marred with controversies, particularly on the interpretation of “forthwith” under Article XI, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution, on whether the court should immediately proceed to trial.

The Supreme Court would later rule that the complaints against Duterte violated the one-year bar on impeachment proceedings against the same official, as provided under the same article. The ruling, however, did not absolve the Vice President from the impeachment charges, with the court saying that the same grounds may be raised again in future complaints.

New impeachment complaints were then initiated in February this year at the House of Representatives, which then voted in May to impeach the Vice President.

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READ: Senate urged to open Duterte impeachment pre-trial meet to public

The pretrial conference for Duterte’s impeachment begins today, June 18, and the trial on July 6.

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Basic legal knowledge

Lacson said the suggestion that Escudero presides over the court also came from Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, but added that while it was the consensus of the group, their decision may still change.

He denied that considering Escudero for the post was part of the negotiation when the latter defected to the new majority bloc during the June 3 leadership change that elected Gatchalian as Senate President pro tempore and designated acting Senate President.

“No, we talked about it among ourselves so that things will run smoothly,” Lacson said. “When you’re the one presiding, you should have the basic knowledge of the law, the rules of court, and evidence. Because once there is a motion, either from the prosecution or defense, there is a chance that you have to rule immediately.”

The Senate received last Monday the pretrial briefs submitted by both the prosecution and defense panels in preparation for the trial.

Senate Secretary Renato Bantug said the pretrial stage involves the proposed stipulation of facts that both parties are willing to admit, as well as the simplification of issues and marking of evidence. He added that this is where the parties formalize stipulations, if any, and identify issues that the court can resolve in a simplified manner.

Full authority

Also on Wednesday, the House of Representatives granted the 11-member prosecution panel and its team of private lawyers full authority to act on its own for the pretrial conference.

“I move to authorize the House public prosecutors and the private prosecutors … in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte, to act for and on behalf of the House of Representatives in all pretrial proceedings and incidental matters before the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court,” San Juan Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora said in her motion.

Zamora’s motion also allows the prosecution panel to tap private lawyers, experts, and consultants for the trial.

Congress is on a sine die break, although President Marcos has called for a special session on Wednesday to urgently pass priority bills and address critical appointments.

The request for authority comes as the prosecution team prepares for Thursday’s pretrial hearing, when they are expected to mark evidence, set trial dates, outline the sequence of presentations, and discuss other details aimed at expediting the case.

Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V, meanwhile, said the Senate should now turn its focus to Duterte’s trial after settling the leadership dispute that had stalled the chamber’s legislative work.

“It’s high time we focus on work, and that includes the upcoming impeachment trial,” Ortega said in a statement on Wednesday.

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Duterte is facing allegations of misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds, accumulating unexplained wealth, engaging in corruption, and making serious threats against the President, first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez. —WITH A REPORT FROM KENNETH CHRISTIANE BASILIO