HOUSE Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairperson and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude A. Acidre on Wednesday urged the public not to lose confidence in the impeachment process amid legal challenges arising from the leadership dispute in the Senate, stressing that the case against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte remains on track unless the Supreme Court (SC) orders otherwise.
Acidre said the current situation demonstrates why the Constitution provides separate roles for each branch and institution of government.
“Filipinos should not lose confidence in the impeachment process. Our institutions are designed precisely for moments like this. The Supreme Court can resolve legal questions, the Senate can conduct the trial, and the Filipino people can finally hear the evidence and judge for themselves whether their trust remains deserved,” Acidre said.
The House leader said public concern is understandable whenever constitutional institutions are involved in legal disputes, but emphasized that the petition filed in connection with the Senate leadership row is separate and distinct from the impeachment proceedings.
“The petition concerns the leadership row in the Senate, not the impeachment process itself,” Acidre said.
Former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and several of his allies have elevated the ongoing Senate leadership dispute to the SC, seeking judicial intervention to reverse the leadership changes implemented in the chamber earlier this month.
In an 87-page petition, the Cayetano-led group asked the High Court to issue a status quo ante order that would effectively restore the Senate’s leadership structure prior to June 3. The petition seeks the reinstatement of Cayetano as Senate President, Sen. Loren Legarda as Senate President Pro Tempore, and the restoration of committee chairmanships and other Senate positions affected by the leadership reorganization.
The petition argues that the Court’s intervention is necessary to halt what it described as alleged “mob rule” and to restore institutional and structural stability within the Senate.
Acidre noted that the Articles of Impeachment did not originate from the Senate controversy and remain valid regardless of the ongoing dispute.
“The case against the Vice President did not originate from the Senate dispute,” he said.
Acidre pointed out that the impeachment complaint had already passed through the constitutional process required under the law.
“The Articles of Impeachment were approved by an overwhelming majority of House Members and formally transmitted to the Senate in accordance with the correct processes,” he said.
The House leader cautioned against interpreting legal disagreements among institutions as a breakdown of constitutional governance.
“We should not confuse legal disagreement with constitutional paralysis,” Acidre said.
According to Acidre, the country’s institutions are fully capable of carrying out their respective constitutional mandates simultaneously.
“The Supreme Court has its role. The Senate has its role. The House has fulfilled its role and is ready to prosecute its case before whomever holds the gavel of the impeachment court. Each institution can perform its constitutional duty without undermining the others. That is how a functioning democracy works,” he said.
Acidre stressed that, absent any contrary ruling from the SC, the impeachment proceedings remain on course.
“The impeachment process remains on track unless the Supreme Court says otherwise,” he said.
He likewise appealed to Filipinos to place their trust in the constitutional mechanisms designed to resolve disputes and ensure accountability.
“The Filipino people should not fear constitutional processes. They should trust them,” Acidre said.
