Universities join calls to start impeach trial

MANILA, Philippines — Professors, faculty members and alumni of the country’s top schools have called on the Senate to proceed immediately with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, as suspicions have emerged that the Senate leadership is setting the stage for its termination.

In separate statements, the Ateneo School of Government, Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC), the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law Faculty, the Dela Salle University “La Sallian Family in the Philippines” and professors from the San Beda University Graduate School of Law called on the Senate to start “forthwith” the impeachment trial of Duterte, as further delays or having it shelved would be a violation of the Constitution.

For the Ateneo School of Government, “dispensing the case without the benefit of a trial is a dereliction of duty and a clear attempt to whitewash the accusations raised against a public official.”

“The impeachment process is a sacred duty enshrined in our Constitution. It is the primary mechanism to ensure that our elected officials would remain faithful to their sworn duty to serve the public with dedication, commitment and, most importantly, integrity,” it said.

“We remind our senators that they are public servants and their mandate is based on the people’s trust. We pray that they would remain true to what the Senate institution stands for: upholding the Constitution, promoting democratic values and serving the national interest. Convene the impeachment court now,” the Ateneo School of Government said.

“The Senate, by constitutional design, is entrusted with the solemn duty of acting as an impeachment court. It is a distinct constitutional function that demands impartiality, urgency, and fidelity to the rule of law,” the AHRC said.

Senate President Francis Escudero has reset the start of the impeachment trial to June 11 from June 2, triggering insinuations he was deliberately delaying it.

An unsigned draft Senate resolution is making the rounds, seeking the “de facto dismissal” of the impeachment complaint against Duterte without subjecting her to a trial. Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has admitted to being the source of the draft resolution.

The AHRC said that since the transmittal of the impeachment complaint to the Senate on Feb. 5, “not a single step has been taken in compliance with the constitutional command to proceed forthwith or without delay.”

The AHRC reminded the Senate it is accountable to the people and to the Constitution.

“However, the recent actions of the 19th Congress cast serious doubt on this vision. The deliberate adjustment of the Senate calendar and the introduction of a Senate resolution seeking the ‘de facto’ dismissal of the impeachment of the Vice President reflect an apparent intent to derail a constitutionally-mandated process,” it added.

It said that the Senate, with its recent actions, appears to be reducing the impeachment process into a mere political circus.

“When the Senate sits as an impeachment court, it does not perform a legislative function. An impeachment proceeding is sui generis – unique in its form and purpose. It is neither a matter of political convenience nor a tool to be wielded at will. Instead, it is a constitutional duty that leaves the Senate no option but to fulfill,” the AHRC noted.

People’s trust undermined

In an open letter entitled “To Forthwith Proceed,” signed by almost 100 faculty members of the UP College of Law, the Senate was told that an outright dismissal of the complaint against the Vice President “without hearing even a single witness will mean its abandonment of its proud tradition as an august chamber and permanently alter our system of checks and balances.”

Doing away with the impeachment trial, they added, “will undermine the people’s trust in the Senate as an independent and impartial institution before which the highest officials of the land may demonstrate and prove their fealty to the principles of accountability, public service and democracy.”

They said impeachment trials had been a venue for some of the most important national conversations on good governance and on the standards imposed on the highest officials by the Filipino people.

“Its character as an accountability mechanism is not simply suggested by its placement under Article XI of the Constitution (Accountability of Public Officers); it is confirmed by constitutional and political history,” the group added.

The faculty members cited the impeachment case against former president Joseph Estrada where the non-opening of the second envelope sparked national indignation.

“For the people, it was suppression of the truth that ended in the removal of a president,” they noted.

They said that in the impeachment case against former chief justice Renato Corona, the latter delivered an emphatic statement defending himself.

“The tide turned when he abruptly walked out of the impeachment trial before the Senate could ask him questions. While every initiation of impeachment is understandably controversial if not divisive, the people eventually congregate around the impeachment court to find the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about serious disqualifying allegations against its highest public servants,” the group said.

‘Sacred mechanism’

For the Lasallian Family in the Philippines of the Dela Salle University, the impeachment process is not merely a political exercise but “a sacred mechanism enshrined in the 1987 Constitution to ensure that the highest public officials remain answerable to the people they serve.”

“Any attempt to suppress this process undermines the pursuit of truth and the very foundation of democracy, the rule of law and the principle that no one is above the law,” the group added.

The group also reminded senators of their constitutional duty to act as impartial stewards of justice, especially in matters involving the accountability of public officials.

“They are not mere spectators to political expedience; they are guardians of the Republic’s integrity. The least they can do is to assure the Filipino people that the rule of law prevails, even when political pressures mount,” the group said.

It added that the Senate should allow the impeachment process to proceed with fairness, transparency and due diligence, guided by truth and a deep sense of patriotic responsibility.

“To cut short this process is not only a disservice to justice but also a betrayal of public trust. Today, we serve not only by teaching minds and touching hearts, but by speaking truth to power. We stand with all citizens and institutions who seek truth, transparency and transformative governance,” the group said.

San Beda University Graduate School of Law professors have also asked the Senate to proceed at once with the impeachment trial of Duterte.

Among them are retired Supreme Court Associate Justices Adolf Azcuna and Jose Vitug, and graduate school dean Fr. Ranhilio Aquino.

“We, professors of the Graduate School of Law of San Beda University, in our individual capacities, respectfully urge the Senate of the Philippines to proceed with the trial of the Vice President in accordance with Article XI of the Constitution,” the San Beda law professors said in their statement.

“Article XI is clear that when the verified complaint is endorsed by at least one-third of the members of the House of Representatives, trial by the Senate must thereupon proceed,” they said.

Church groups

Church-led groups also asked the Senate to convene as an impeachment court in the interest of justice and due process.

The Caritas Philippines said the impeachment trial of Duterte should not be delayed anymore in the face of moves by some senators to push for its de facto dismissal.

“Let us be reminded that justice delayed is justice denied,” said Caritas Philippines president Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo.

“The ultimate goal must always be the concern for the welfare of the Filipino people – especially the poor, the marginalized and those whose voices are often unheard,” he said.

Bagaforo also called on senators to show moral courage, and for the country’s institutions to stand firm in justice and for all citizens to demand accountability rooted in compassion and truth.

“We call on everyone to remain vigilant, discerning and united in prayer – that this chapter in our nation’s journey may lead us closer to genuine peace, good governance and a more just society for all,” he said.

In a manifesto “for Constitutional Accountability and Moral Courage,” the Church Leaders Council for National Transformation-Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan-Civil Society demanded that the Senate “perform its constitutional role as the Nation’s Impeachment Court according to the 1987 Constitution.”

“Failure to act upon this impeachment, including delaying tactics or politically motivated avoidance, constitutes a dereliction of constitutional duty and an affront to the Filipino people,” the manifesto read.

“To dismiss the complaint and prevent a trial is to suppress the pursuit of truth and undermines the fundamental principles of democratic accountability. Ignoring the evidence and obstructing a trial amounts to a betrayal of justice and a disservice to the nation,” it added. – Jose Rodel Clapano