Chiz Escudero says he didn't seek presiding role but won't shirk duty

Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero said on Sunday that while he never sought to preside over the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, he would not turn away from the responsibility entrusted to him by the Senate impeachment court.

"Hindi ko ginusto 'to, hindi ko hiningi 'to, hindi ko hinanap 'to. Pero, hindi ko rin tatalikuran ang inaatas na responsibilidad sa akin na tulungan ang Senado at Impeachment Court," Escudero said in a podcast on his YouTube channel.

(I did not want this, I did not ask for this, I did not seek this. However, I will not turn my back on the responsibility entrusted to me to help the Senate and the impeachment court.)

Escudero said he does not feel pressured by the role, stressing that he is simply carrying out a duty expected of any senator elected to preside over the impeachment court.

On the opening day of Duterte's impeachment trial on July 6, Escudero was elected presiding officer after being nominated by Senator Panfilo Lacson. He previously presided over the impeachment court in 2025 when he was Senate president.

Twelve senator-judges voted in favor of Escudero's election, while eight opposed it.

Escudero also welcomed any legal challenge to his appointment, saying a ruling by the Supreme Court would settle the issue and provide guidance for future impeachment proceedings.

"Karapatan po nila 'yan at mas maganda ngang iakyat nila sa Korte Suprema upang mapagpasyahan nang may buong linaw," he said.

(That is their right, and it would actually be better if they brought it before the Supreme Court so it can be decided with absolute clarity.)

"Para sa hindi malayong hinaharap o sa hinaharap, kung mangyari man ito muli, may gabay na tayo kung puwede nga ba o hindi 'yan, at hindi na natin pag-aawayan pang muli ito," he added.

(So that if this happens again in the future, we will already have guidance on whether it is permissible or not, and we will no longer argue about it.)

Escudero's nomination was opposed by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and the minority bloc, who questioned the legality of allowing someone other than the sitting Senate president to preside over the impeachment court.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian has maintained that Escudero's election was authorized under a Senate resolution approved on June 3 and ratified on June 17 without objection.

Cayetano and the minority bloc, however, argued that the amendment being cited is void.

Maintaining order

Escudero said one of his biggest responsibilities as presiding officer is ensuring order throughout the trial, especially as tensions between the prosecution and defense are expected to escalate.

"Dahil tinitiyak ko, darating at darating yung panahon na magkakainitan ang dalawang panig," he said.

(I am certain there will come a time when the two sides will inevitably clash.)

He recalled that a previous impeachment trial was disrupted by a walkout and said he and his fellow senator-judges would work to prevent similar incidents.

"Hindi po maaaring impartial-impartialan lang, dapat mukha at totoong impartial ang impeachment court," Escudero said.

(We cannot merely pretend to be impartial. The impeachment court must both appear and truly be impartial.)

Escudero said he hopes the trial can be completed before November or December, although he acknowledged that the timeline will ultimately depend on the amount of evidence presented by both sides.

"Para sa akin, tinataya ko na sana matapos ito bago mag-Nobyembre o Disyembre, pero 'di ko kaya magsalita nang patapos, depende 'yan sa ebidensiyang nais ipresenta ng magkabilang panig," he said.

(I hope this can be finished before November or December, but I cannot say that with certainty because it depends on the evidence both sides intend to present.)

He also acknowledged that the proceedings have gotten off to a relatively slow start as both the parties and the senator-judges familiarize themselves with the process, but said he expects the pace of the trial to pick up in the coming weeks.— MCG, GMA News