Religious leaders, lawyers join calls to hasten VP Sara impeachment trial

By Fayzah Inshirah Cosna Alonto Ala

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Senate has now taken oath at 6:30 pm of June 10 to convene as an impeachment court, following strong calls from church, lawyers, academe and business to pursue the trial on Vice President Sara Duterte without delay.

Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives last February 5 due to allegations of corruption involving confidential funds, bribery and threats against the president, but Senate President Francis Escudero has failed to convene as an impeachment court since then which has stirred public clamor over its delay.

On June 8, 2025, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), the country’s largest private educational association, released a statement urging the Senate to proceed with the impeachment, claiming that it is their constitutional, moral, and democratic imperative.

CEAP, with over 1,500 member schools, colleges, and universities, including De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, and Ateneo de Manila University, called for the personal transcendence of the Senate, saying, “This was your vow when we elected you. This was your commitment to the Filipino people. This was the promise you made to your God.”

On June 9, the same sentiments were said by Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas. In his statement, he reiterated the need of leaders to pursue the Catholic values of truth, justice, and the common good, saying, “To delay the trial or even to abort it is to suppress the truth. It is a Sin.” He further reminded that the process should not be fueled by selfish ambitions, personal desires, and gratification.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David further supported these claims in their statement, emphasizing that politics only becomes a noble service if it is guided by conscience and not by biased interests.

Meanwhile, other sectors, such as the legal and business sectors, also released similar statement, calling on the Senate to convene the impeachment court and proceed with the trial without any more delays or excuses.

The Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) said in their statement that “the delay is unjustifiable. The maneuverings are unconstitutional. The inaction is unacceptable.”

They also emphasize that impeachment is a constitutional process for accountability and public trust, providing due process for officials, while allowing them the presumption of innocence. “Impeachment is not just political theater,” UPLM said.

The Deans of the Five Ateneo Schools and Colleges of Law released a joint statement on June 8 urging the Philippine Senate to proceed with the impeachment trial with fairness and impartiality as a respect to due process and the Philippine Constitution mandate, and to uphold accountability in public offices.

The statement wrote: “Once the Articles of Impeachment have been filed and transmitted by at least one-thirds of all the members of the House of Representatives, ‘trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed’, without conditions or qualifications, and without equivocation or obstruction.”

The statement was signed by deans of law colleges from Ateneo de Manila University, Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, Ateneo de Davao University, Ateneo de Zamboanga University and Ateneo de Naga University

The Makati Business Club (MBC), a business association in the Philippines focused on promoting the business sector’s role in development efforts, support the call for the trial to proceed, saying, “We view this as a governance issue and a test of public accountability, and the rule of law.” The group also opened the uncertainty brought by the delay, as this may affect investors’ trust in the Philippines, posing a long-term threat to the economy.

Senate convenes

Following the growing public appeal on the impeachment, senators from the minority block led by its minority leader Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Senator Risa Hontiveros pushed hard last June 9 for the Senate to immediately convene the impeachment court.

Senate President Escudero convened the impeachment court on June 10, a day ahead of its schedule.

This came after pro-Duterte senator Ronaldo ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa delivered a privilege speech calling for the dismissal of the impeachment as he used arguments made by Duterte to the Supreme Court that the impeachment complaint was weak.

Escudero decided that in order to determine Bato’s motion for dismissal, the Senate must convene as an impeachment court.

Sen. Joel Villanueva clarified that the oath-taking does not mean the automatic assumption of the Senate acting as an impeachment court. Instead, the court is said to convene on Wednesday, June 11, as emphasized by Sen. Escudero. (davaotoday.com)