In a significant development at the Philippine Senate, 11 senators have formally expressed their support for Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III’s motion to convene as an impeachment court. This came shortly after a temporary suspension of the plenary session, marking a critical step forward in addressing the impeachment proceedings set before the upper chamber.
Photo Credit to Anthony Comedia
The motion by Pimentel calls on the Senate to act by its constitutional duty to serve as an impeachment court once articles of impeachment are transmitted from the House of Representatives. In response, several senators promptly stood in favor of convening the Senate for this purpose.
Those who declared their support for the motion include some of the most influential figures in the chamber:
- Senate President Chiz Escudero
- Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada
- Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino
- Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel
- Senator Risa Hontiveros
- Senator Alan Peter Cayetano
- Senator JV Ejercito
- Senator Win Gatchalian
- Senator Migz Zubiri
- Senator Raffy Tulfo
- Senator Joel Villanueva
Pimentel emphasized the need for the Senate to fulfill its constitutional mandate and not delay the process. “Once the impeachment articles are transmitted to us, we must act. We cannot shirk from our responsibility,” he stated on the floor before the session break.
Senate President Escudero echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of institutional integrity. He said, “The Constitution is clear—when the House transmits articles of impeachment, the Senate must act accordingly.”
The public and political analysts have been closely monitoring how the Senate would respond to mounting pressure to address the impeachment case. While the specific target and details of the impeachment remain under wraps for now, the Senate’s united front signals its readiness to proceed with the constitutional process.
Observers view this bipartisan show of support as a rare moment of unity in the Senate, reinforcing the chamber’s commitment to due process and accountability.
BREAKING: Senate President Chiz Escudero takes his oath as the presiding officer for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Senate members will take their oaths as judges of the proceedings at 4 pm tomorrow, June 10, with the court set to convene the following day. pic.twitter.com/5nzgMLX39w
— The LaSallian (@TheLaSallian) June 9, 2025
As the nation waits for further developments, attention now turns to when the articles of impeachment will be officially transmitted and how swiftly the Senate will move to constitute itself as an impeachment court.