Hontiveros: Senate may try both impeachment cases vs Marcos, Duterte

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday recognized the possibility of the Senate holding two separate trials against the country’s top two officials, should the complaints against them prosper in the House of Representatives and be transmitted to the upper chamber. 

On Monday, an impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. was filed with the House of Representatives. A renewed impeachment complaint is also looming against Vice President Sara Duterte. 

“Anything is possible. Kung parehong mag-prosper ‘yung dalawang complaint sa House, then magiging dalawa ‘yung tungkulin namin dito or dalawang impeachment trials,” Hontiveros said in a Kapihan sa Senado forum.

(Anything is possible. If the two complaints prosper in the House, then we will have two responsibilities here or two impeachment trials.) 

The senator admitted that she has not yet read the impeachment complaint against Marcos, but assured that she is ready to stand as a senator-judge should the complaint be elevated to the Senate. 

“Handa akong gumanap ng tungkulin bilang senator-judge na i-consider ang anumang evidence na io-offer nung impeachment complaint na ‘yan, at mag-desisyon, bumoto, batay sa evidence na ‘yan,” she said. 

(I am ready to be a senator-judge and consider any evidence presented in that impeachment complaint, and make a decision and vote based on that evidence.) 

It was Atty. Andre de Jesus who filed an impeachment complaint against Marcos with the House of Representatives. The complaint was endorsed by Pusong Pinoy Party-list Representative Jett Nisay. 

As of Wednesday, House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil said that the complaint against the President has been transmitted to the Office of the Speaker for appropriate action. 

Duterte, on the other hand, was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, 2025, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint. In August last year, the Senate voted to transfer to the archives the articles of impeachment against the Vice President, following the Supreme Court decision declaring her impeachment unconstitutional.

A new complaint may be filed against Duterte in February, following the mandated one-year ban on such a complaint.

Asked about the implications of impeachment cases possibly being filed against the country’s top two officials, Hontiveros acknowledged that it would not be an ideal situation. 

“May humihingi talagang mamamayan ng (the people are really asking for) accountability on the part of public officials, and nobody can quarrel with that principle of accountability of public officials,” she said. 

“So although it's not an ideal situation kung magkaroon man ng dalawang sabay na impeachment trials, tungkulin ‘yan ng Senado. And in the longer run, kung ma-resolve or magsara ‘yung dalawang trials satisfactorily or properly, in the long run, it should contribute sa pag-unlad ng ating bansa,” she added. 

(So although it would not be an ideal situation if there would be two simultaneous impeachment trials, that is the duty of the Senate. And in the longer run, if the two trials could be resolved or finished satisfactorily or properly, in the long run, it should contribute to the development of our country.) —AOL, GMA Integrated News