Former senator Leila De Lima (right) with Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cenda帽a (left) at a gathering of supporters and groups behind the first impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte at the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) Shrine on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Jason Sigales / 黑料社)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Can Vice President Sara Duterte be tried by the Senate of the 20th Congress, which will sit after the May 2025 midterm polls, if the House of Representatives of the 19th Congress impeaches her?
For former senator Leila De Lima, that is an 鈥渙pen question.鈥�
The scenario was raised by reporters at a press conference at the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) Shrine on Thursday, where the signatories behind all three impeachment complaints against Duterte called on the House to swiftly begin the proceedings.
鈥淚t鈥檚 now a question of representation,鈥� De Lima responded. 鈥淲ould there be proper representation if a process that was started in a previous Congress would be continued in the next, new Congress?鈥�
鈥淭hat is a question that would most certainly reach the Supreme Court. Lalo pang makaka-delay kung may ganoong mga legal, constitutional issue (There will be even more delays if there are those legal, constitutional issues),鈥� said the former senator, who is also a lawyer.
The question of time for the proceedings came after over a month since the impeachment complaints were filed at the House and with a tight schedule for the remainder of the 19th Congress.
Sectoral, progressive, and religious groups last December filed three complaints against Duterte in connection with her alleged misuse of public funds.
The House adjourned its session for the holidays from Dec. 21, 2024 to Jan. 12, 2025. It is set to adjourn again from Feb. 8 to June 1 amid the 2025 national and local elections.
READ: Complainants urge House: Impeaching VP Duterte is 鈥榤oral obligation鈥�
鈥淭he core mandate [of Congress] is the lawmaking. We鈥檙e not talking here about that core mandate of Congress. This is a special mandate of Congress: impeachment, accountability,鈥� De Lima said.
鈥淚n lawmaking, the bills you filed, if you win again, in the next Congress, you鈥檇 have to refile it. You are back to square one. Is that also the rule for impeachment? That鈥檚 also open,鈥� she added in Filipino.
READ: Some solons looking for endorsers to expedite VP Duterte鈥檚 impeachment
Last Tuesday, House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco said several lawmakers were actively looking for at least 103 colleagues to endorse a fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte to expedite the process.
If one-third of House members endorse an impeachment complaint, it will be forwarded to the Senate, where senators will vote on whether to convict the impeached official and remove them from office.