Speaker sees election period a challenge for VP Sara impeach trial preps

Speaker Martin Romualdez sees the ongoing campaign period and the upcoming 2025 midterm polls as challenges while the House prosecution panel prepares for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in the Senate impeachment court, a deputy majority leader said on Thursday.

La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V thus said when asked if the Speaker raised any issue as regards the House’s preparations when the members of the House’s administration bloc, including the 11-strong prosecution panel, met on Wednesday, February 12.

“Elections...that’s number one. [Kasi iyong] kampanya [ngayon]...iyong availability of [personnel], scheduling,” he replied.

“But other than that, it’s all good,” he added.

Likewise, Ortega said the Speaker attended Wednesday’s meeting to show support for the team.

“He was there to show support...gave words of encouragement amid the road we are going into. There was a meeting yesterday because there are also volunteer lawyers who would want to be part of the impeachment process,” he said.

Asked if the Speaker had any appeal, Ortega said the House leader told them to “stay true to what we voted upon.”

The campaign period for the 2025 midterm polls started last February 11 and will go on until May 10.

The elections will take place on May 12.

Congress adjourned session on February 7 and will return on June 2 for two weeks before adjourning sine die, marking the end of the 19th Congress.

The House impeached Duterte on February 5, with an initial 215 House members signing off on the impeachment complaint, a number more than the required one-third of the House members to tow it to the Senate for the impeachment trial.

Senate President Francis Escudero, however, said that the impeachment trial will only start after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. delivers his State of the Nation Address on July 28. — BM, GMA Integrated News

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