More than 100 faculty members of the University of the Philippines College of Law (UP Law), one of the country’s premier institutions for legal education, have issued a compelling open letter urging the Senate to proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The letter, signed by 120 professors and lecturers, argues that dismissing the case prematurely would undermine the constitutional system of checks and balances.
In their letter released Thursday, the law professors called on the Senate to fulfill its constitutional role and begin the trial, stressing that failing to do so would amount to abandoning a critical duty of public accountability.
“A premature dismissal will undermine the core democratic principle of checks and balances,” the letter stated. “In contrast, proceeding with the impeachment trial will uphold the Senate’s constitutional mandate on public trust and accountability.”
The faculty expressed deep concern over attempts to declare the impeachment as “functionally or de facto dismissed,” particularly pointing to a draft resolution reportedly authored by Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. The letter criticized the resolution’s legal justifications—such as the right to speedy disposition and the claim that the Senate is not a continuing body—as lacking factual and constitutional basis.
“Even with four months of inaction, the Vice President’s right to speedy disposition has not been violated,” the law scholars emphasized, explaining that impeachment is a unique process where the Senate acts not as a legislative body but as a constitutional tribunal.
They also highlighted that Duterte had not asked for her trial to begin nor sought its dismissal, and had even filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to stop the trial, contradicting claims that her rights were being violated by delays.
On the matter of Senate continuity, the faculty underscored that impeachment is a “distinct and singularly important constitutional duty” that should not be dismissed like ordinary legislative business. Senate Rule 44, which terminates pending matters at the end of a Congress, does not apply to impeachment trials, they said.
Citing historical precedents such as the impeachment trials of former President Joseph Estrada and Chief Justice Renato Corona, the faculty pointed out that the Senate had long acknowledged its special role in these proceedings, complete with judicial robes and oaths of neutrality.
The letter was signed by prominent legal figures, including former ICC judge Raul Pangalangan, constitutional law expert Antonio La Viña, and former SC spokesperson Theodore Te.
Their final appeal: “We wish to see the evidence, hear the Vice President’s defense, and judge for ourselves her fitness to continue in public service.”
Failure to proceed, they warned, would not only weaken accountability mechanisms but also erode public confidence in the Senate as an impartial institution.