Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero urged his colleagues in the Senate to carry out their duties in accordance with the law and set aside political noise when they convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Speaking in the pilot episode of his Chiz Wiz! podcast, Escudero said senators should shed political colors and approach the process with sobriety and fairness.
“Hindi sila dapat magpadala sa kung sino ang mas maingay. Nangyari na ‘yan sa bibliya, hindi ba? May mas malakas sumigaw, may napako nga sa krus dahil dun,” Escudero said.
“Ang impeachment trial ay hindi eleksyon o botohan sa kung sino ang mas popular. Ang dapat sundan ay kung ano ang naaayon sa batas,” he added, stressing that the Senate must uphold constitutional discipline rather than respond to online agitation or political theatrics.
In the 35-minute podcast, the veteran lawmaker also shared with his guests the Senate’s experience under his watch as Senate President during the 2025 impeachment proceedings, explaining why the chamber did not convene immediately despite the constitutional term “forthwith.”
He said the Senate needed reasonable time to prepare for a process of such gravity, a position that was later affirmed by the Supreme Court in a 14-0-1 vote favoring the Senate’s handling of the impeachment timeline.
The High Court rejected a petition seeking to compel the Senate to convene at once, saying the chamber acted within constitutional bounds when it declined to begin trial while in recess.
In clarifying “forthwith,” the Court ruled that the term means action taken within a “reasonable time,” and not an instantaneous or mechanical response. The decision underscored that the Senate retains discretion on when and how to convene as an impeachment court, provided it acts within a reasonable period.
Atty. Regie Tongol, spokesperson of the Escudero‑led impeachment court in 2025 and a guest in the podcast, said the ruling effectively vindicated the Senate’s earlier stance. He noted that the Court’s definition of “forthwith” validated the chamber’s deliberate approach and dispelled criticisms that it had acted too slowly.
Tongol added that the decision strengthened institutional stability by ensuring that impeachment proceedings cannot be dictated by public pressure or unrealistic timelines. “They were wrong, and the Supreme Court has proven them wrong,].”
According to the former spokesperson, the Supreme Court ruling reinforces the Senate’s independence by ensuring that impeachment proceedings are guided by constitutional standards rather than public pressure or political noise.