President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed confidence that Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero can effectively oversee the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte if he serves as the presiding officer of the Senate acting as an impeachment court.
Marcos made the statement when asked about criticisms directed at Escudero regarding his possible role in handling the impeachment proceedings against the vice president.
According to the president, the criticisms against Escudero are opinions and should not be used as a basis for judging his capability to lead the process.
Marcos emphasized that Escudero himself drafted the rules that the Senate used during previous impeachment proceedings. He said this experience demonstrates the Senate president’s familiarity with the procedures required in such cases.
The president also addressed concerns related to the suspension of a previous impeachment proceeding. Marcos said the interruption of the earlier trial resulted from a decision of the Supreme Court and was not due to any failure or shortcoming on the part of Escudero.
The remarks came amid ongoing public discussion about who should oversee the impeachment proceedings if the Senate formally convenes as an impeachment court in the case involving Duterte.
Marcos maintained that Escudero possesses the knowledge and experience necessary to manage the process should he be tasked with presiding over the trial.
The president’s comments focused on defending Escudero’s qualifications and rejecting claims that criticism alone should determine public assessment of the Senate president’s ability to perform the role.
No additional details regarding the timetable or next steps for the impeachment proceedings were discussed in the president’s remarks.
