Escudero: No Marcos order to delay Sara Duterte impeachment trial

MANILA, Philippines — President  Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not order the delay of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Francis Escudero said on Monday.

According to Escudero,  the decision to postpone the presentation of the articles of impeachment against Duterte from June 2 to June 11 was made after last week’s Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting.

Marcos and the leaders of Congress, which included  Escudero and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, attended the meeting held last Thursday.

Asked, however, if the idea of postponing the presentation of charges against Duterte came from Marcos, Escudero’s quick reply was: “No, it did not.”

It was not a decision reached between the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Senate chief added,  noting that he was not even able to tell Romualdez about it.

“He [Romualdez] found out through the letter that I sent,” Escudero said.

After the Ledac meeting, Escudero sent the speaker a letter, informing him of the Senate's decision to postpone the presentation of the articles of impeachment against Duterte so Congress can pass priority legislation before adjourning sine die on June 11.

He said he decided to move the date of the presentation of the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte after consulting some of his peers.

Escudero also noted Marcos’ often-repeated statement that he is against the impeachment of the vice president.

The president did not say anything nor did he give any orders regarding that, and I also didn’t mention it to Speaker Romualdez because we made the decision afterward, when we were already mapping out the things that needed to be done in connection with what was discussed in the Ledac meeting," Escudero said. /gsg

(2025/06/02-14:05)