Senate vindication?

The Senate of the 20th Congress will not wait for the Supreme Court (SC) but will convene as impeachment court to resume the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte that was left unfinished in the 19th Congress.

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

A veteran lawmaker who has walked the halls of Congress for almost two decades, Sen. Joel Villanueva expressed confidence his fellow members of the new Senate will strive to act as impeachment court even while the 15-man High Court have yet to rule on pending petitions to stop it.

Originally, the Senate planned to convene the new impeachment court on July 29, or a day after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (PBBM) delivers his fourth state of the nation address (SONA). On July 28, PBBM will again render his SONA as part of the ceremonial joint opening sessions of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum last Wednesday, Villanueva disclosed that his fellow members of the new Senate are looking at the resumption of the impeachment trial tentatively set on August 4. Or this is one week after the 20th Congress officially opens its first regular sessions on July 28. Villanueva hastily clarified this is not to further delay the impeachment process as claimed by staunch critics of VP Sara and pro-impeachment groups.

"We're looking at Aug. 4. It is not yet a definite schedule. When Senate President Francis Escudero asked me, I agreed that's enough time for the Senate and House to organize itself," Villanueva quipped.

"At the end of the day, it is still up to the consensus of the majority," Sen. Villanueva pointed out.