18-5: The ongoing impeachment battle

For days, the nation was glued to the coverage of the Senate session, and with bated breath, the public waited wondered if the impeachment court would eventually be convened to try and decide the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

- Atty. Ruphil Bañoc

Tensions ran high most of the time.

Senate President Chiz Escudero repeatedly hinted that he could not be rushed into convening the impeachment court, shifting the blame to the Lower House for submitting the impeachment complaint at the last minute.

There was also a debate on whether the impeachment can cross over to the twentieth Congress from the nineteenth. Escudero believes it can. Senator Francis Tolentino disagrees, and for this reason, he proposed a very short trial schedule --one that could conclude before the next Congress. Tolentino's proposed trial dates failed to generate enthusiasm among the senators.