Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero clarified this Monday that the delay in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is not connected to the issue of new Senate leadership.
Escudero moved the submission of Articles of Impeachment from June 2 to June 11 to make way for important laws that need to be passed before the 19th Congress closes.
He said, “That has nothing to do with the Senate presidency issue,” adding that the 20th Congress will have a new set of members so it is not directly connected.
However, Escudero admitted that there are indeed discussions with the new Senate leadership, as stated by Senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go. According to Dela Rosa, Escudero—the so-called Duterte bloc—has already spoken to them regarding this matter.
Go also confirmed that both are seeking support from Escudero and Senator-elect Tito Sotto III. Escudero said, “It’s too early” to make a decision, but he admitted there are already talks for both the 19th and 20th Congresses.
