Senate President Chiz Escudero clarified that the proposed August 4 start of the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte is not yet final.
According to Escudero, the final date of the trial will still need to be decided upon by a majority of the Senate members.
This statement comes in response to Senator Joel Villanueva’s earlier comment suggesting that the impeachment trial may begin on August 4.
“There hasn’t been any order from the Senate that the House hasn’t complied with. Hopefully, during that one-week period, the House will be given time to comply with the orders of the Senate impeachment court. It should be carried out by the 20th House of Representatives, not the previous one. If they still can’t comply by 4 August, then we’ll discuss it then,” said Escudero.
He emphasized that this timeframe is sufficient for both the prosecution and defense teams to prepare their arguments for the impeachment trial.
Escudero also stood firm on not inhibiting himself from presiding over the proceedings despite calls from some student leaders.
“If their definition of fairness is getting me to take their side, then it’s not fairness,” he said in an interview.
He added, “It’s clear what they want to happen – and just because I don’t pander to their wishes doesn’t mean I’m not fair. Being fair means applying the rule evenly to everyone regardless who it is.”