Atty. Regie Tongol, the former spokesperson for the Senate impeachment court under former Senate President Chiz Escudero, declared that the Supreme Court’s recent near-unanimous ruling has definitively silenced critics of the Senate’s 2025 procedural timeline.
The statement follows the High Court’s 14-0-1 decision on Wednesday, April 29, which junked a petition seeking to legally force the Senate to immediately convene as an impeachment court to try Vice President Sara Duterte.
“We refused to sacrifice due process at the altar of public pressure. The Supreme Court’s near-unanimous decision proves that under the leadership of then-Senate President Chiz Escudero, the Senate was right to choose constitutional prudence over the reckless haste demanded by so-called experts,” Tongol said in a statement.
The controversy dates back to February 5, 2025, when the first Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President were transmitted to the Upper Chamber.
At the time, Escudero drew sharp criticism from constitutionalists and legal luminaries for refusing to begin the trial while the Senate was in recess.
High-profile figures, including ConCom framer Atty. Rene Sarmiento and former Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, argued that the word “forthwith” in the Constitution mandated an “instantaneous” or “immediate” response.
However, the Supreme Court’s decision in Generillo, Jr. v. Senate of the Philippines clarified that “forthwith” translates to a “reasonable time” rather than an immediate demand, allowing the Senate necessary discretion for preparation.
“The recent 14-0-1 decision by the Supreme Court En Banc… clarifies a fundamental procedural question that has long been at the heart of our impeachment processes. By defining the constitutional command to proceed ‘forthwith’ as action taken within a ‘reasonable time’—rather than an instantaneous, ‘breakneck’ demand—the Highest Court has definitively affirmed the position we maintained during my tenure,” Tongol explained.
Tongol did not mince words regarding the intense scrutiny the Senate faced during the 2025 proceedings, noting that the institution was subjected to “hasty lectures” and public mockery.
“The hysteria reached such a fever pitch that critics even resorted to name-calling and made merchandise out of the word ‘forthwith’ to mock the Senate’s deliberate pace,” he pointed out. “They were wrong, and the Supreme Court has proven them wrong.”
The former spokesperson concluded that the ruling serves as a vital safeguard for constitutional stability, ensuring that the impeachment process—and the Senate’s independence—cannot be compromised by public pressure or unrealistic timelines.
“This ruling is not just a vindication for those of us who navigated these complex legal waters; it is a victory for constitutional stability… proving that the institution cannot be bullied by public pressure or rushed by the misinterpretations of pundits,” Tongol reiterated.