Sherwin Gatchalian to preside over Sara Duterte impeachment trial

Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian said Thursday he would preside over the looming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

"Under the rules, since ang Senate President Pro Tempore ay assumes the acting Senate President, tayo ang magpe-preside ng impeachment," he said in a press conference.

(Under the rules, since the Senate President Pro Tempore assumes the acting Senate President, I will preside over the impeachment trial.)

"Since, again, bago lang tayo (Since, again, I was just elected), I'll also talk to the Secretary to see the schedule," he added.

Gatchalian was elected Senate President Pro Tempore after the Senate reconvened Wednesday, paving the way for the minority bloc-led senators in attendance to declare him the acting Senate President.

He said senator-judges would also have to retake their oath since he would be the new presiding officer of the impeachment court.

"I would have to consult with the clerk of court kung ano ang mga procedures. But definitely pagbukas, kailangan mag-take ng oath," he said.

(I would have to consult with the clerk of court on what the procedures will be. But definitely once it resumes, they have to take their oath again.)

The Senate impeachment court convened on May 18 under the Senate presidency of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who has warned of a brewing constitutional crisis in the upper chamber.

Senator Camille Villar, being the youngest senator, administered the oath to Cayetano as judge, while the latter presided over the oath-taking of the rest of the legislators.

Work resumes

During the same press conference, Gatchalian said the Senate would resume its work after days of legislative standoff.

He said that as Senate President Pro Tempore, he is allowed to sign documents and perform other functions of a Senate President, pending the election of the chamber's new leader.

On May 11, the House of Representatives, voting 257-25, impeached Duterte for the second time on allegations of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes.

Following the Gatchalian's election as Senate President Pro Tempore, the House prosecution panel expressed readiness to proceed with the trial under any Senate leadership and under any presiding officer of the Senate impeachment court.

Duterte, through her legal team, formally filed on Monday her answer to the Articles of Impeachment filed against her.

In their pleadings, Duterte's legal team submitted that the Articles of Impeachment are "constitutionally infirm, procedurally defective, and substantively deficient" as they sought the dismissal of the impeachment case. — VDV, GMA News