‘Chiz as presiding officer dangerous’

MANILA, Philippines — Civil society groups yesterday expressed serious concern over the reported plan of the new Senate majority to designate Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero as presiding officer in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

A joint statement signed by various groups and individuals said the plan to designate Escudero is “the most imperfect and one of the most dangerous.”

“At a time when the Senate must restore public confidence in its independence and credibility, elevating Escudero to this crucial role risks achieving the opposite,” the groups said.

President Marcos, in an interview with the Philippine media in Kazan, Russia on Thursday, said he is confident in Escudero’s capacity to preside over the upcoming impeachment trial.

“As a matter of fact, the rules that were adopted by the Senate were the rules that Senator Chiz wrote when they were handling last year’s impeachment complaint,” Marcos said.

“In terms of his ability to be able to run the trial, I don’t think that’s in doubt,” he said.

Escudero’s conduct during the previous impeachment proceedings, where his interpretation of the constitutional directive to proceed “forthwith” became the basis for the delay and deferment of the impeachment process, was questionable.

Escudero served as Senate president from May 2024 to September 2025.

Marcos dismissed the criticisms against Escudero over the delayed proceedings during the previous impeachment attempt against Duterte, saying those were opinions only and do not reflect how he would preside.

The President said the reason the impeachment trial last year stopped was because of a Supreme Court decision.

“And that had nothing to do with Senator Chiz,” Marcos said.

But when asked whether he supported Escudero as presiding officer, Marcos said, “I will support whoever the Senate chooses.”

“As long as the process that they undertook in making the choice is proper, is legal, is constitutional, then that’s fine with me,” Marcos said.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson earlier said members of the Senate majority had reached an initial consensus to elect Escudero, a lawyer, as the presiding officer of the impeachment court.

But Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian later clarified that the move is not yet final, and that he was ready to serve as presiding officer of the impeachment court even if he is not a lawyer.

The civil society groups have pushed back on Escudero’s suitability due to his legal background, arguing that it is “unconvincing.”

“Legal knowledge alone does not guarantee fairness, impartiality or fidelity to the spirit of the Constitution. An impeachment trial is not merely a legal exercise; it is a constitutional and political process that demands public trust in the neutrality of those who oversee it,” they said.

The civil society groups said the impeachment trial is a defining test for the Senate and the country’s democracy.

“It must demonstrate that no public official is above the law, and that constitutional accountability cannot be defeated through procedural maneuvering… With the issue of the legitimacy of the Senate presidency settled, we hope the new Senate majority reconsiders and, instead, let Senate President Win Gatchalian lead as presiding judge and shepherd the impeachment trial to its just conclusion,” they said.

Among the signatories of the statement include 1Sambayan; Alyansa ng Samahang Pantao; Alyansa Tigil Mina; August Twenty One Movement; EveryWoman; KALAYAAN; Prayer Batallion; Student Council Alliance of the Philippines; Youth Against Kurakot and others.

Tension ‘expected’

Senate Secretary Renato Bantug denied there was tension during the first day of the pre-trial conference. Bantug – who as Senate secretary presided over the pre-trial – said arguments between parties are “normal” and par for the course.

His remark was in response to reports that the House prosecuting panel and the Vice President’s defense lawyers got into a heated debate which necessitated breaks to let cooler heads prevail.

The pre-trial will resume on Monday for the marking of documents on Articles I and II of the impeachment complaint.

These are on Duterte’s alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds and her alleged unexplained wealth and assets not disclosed in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth.

The marking of documents on Articles III and IV, which were done on Thursday, covered the charge of direct bribery for allegedly giving monetary gifts or payments to DepEd officials and the Vice President’s alleged grave threats and seditious livestreamed remarks, that she had contracted an assassin to take down Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and then speaker Martin Romualdez.

Voting threshold

House prosecutors are weighing a preemptive move to clarify the Senate’s voting threshold, amid the absence of two senators.

Lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro said the House prosecution panel is studying whether to take legal action to clarify how many Senate votes are needed for a conviction.

The 1987 Constitution states that an impeached official can only be convicted with the agreement of “two-thirds of all the members of the Senate.”

However, there is an ongoing debate on whether this means 16 votes out of the full 24 seats, or two-thirds of the senators who are currently active and present.

Luistro said the panel will discuss steps to avoid confusion at the end of the trial.

Luistro believes the required votes should be based on lawmakers who are actively participating, citing a 1949 Supreme Court ruling in Avelino v. Cuenco.

‘Excited’

House prosecutors are turning Duterte’s upcoming impeachment trial into a direct dare for her defense team to produce “Mary Grace Piattos” – the mysterious figure whose name repeatedly appeared on acknowledgment receipts linked to the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds.

House impeachment trial spokesman and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong expressed skepticism about her existence, citing state databases and forensic experts who have cast doubt on the authenticity of the receipts.

“I’m excited. We all are. Who is Mary Grace Piattos, really? If they can produce that person,” Adiong said.

The prosecution called out the defense team for trying to get the case thrown out using legal loopholes, contrasting this evasive strategy with Duterte’s previous boasts that she was eager for a courtroom showdown.

He pointed out that the Vice President’s team consistently skipped the initial House hearings, despite the prosecution giving them every opportunity to formally answer the allegations.

“We anticipate that they will raise many motions technical (in nature) in order to have delays. That’s what we’ve seen from the start – to delay this process,” Adiong told “Storycon” on One News. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Neil Jayson Servallos, Janvic Mateo, Emmanuel Tupas