Holding impeachment trial is a test of democracy

After a long time of hemming and hawing, the Senate president of the 19th Congress, Francis Escudero, finally took his oath as the presiding officer of the impeachment court on Monday, June 9.

The following day, his fellow senators also took their oaths as senator-judges. Their first order of business was a huge debate as to when the court was to be deemed convened, over and above already being constituted.

Some senator-judges who are supposed to be impartial did not even attempt to hide their partiality – imagine moving with resolutions to dismiss the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, as if they were part of the defense.

Eventually, the senators, on a vote of 18-5-0, decided to “remand” the impeachment complaint to the House of Representatives. The decision triggered a wave of public indignation, as many saw it as a betrayal of their solemn constitutional duty to commence with the impeachment trial.

The public’s sentiment is unambiguous. A Social Weather Stations survey, commissioned by the Stratbase Group, revealed that 88% of Filipinos believe Vice President Sara Duterte must address the impeachment charges, answer to corruption allegations, and clear her name.

An earlier OCTA Research survey, conducted from April 20 to 24, 2025, showed that 78% of Filipinos want Duterte to face a Senate trial to formally respond to the charges.

Across society, the call for the impeachment trial to proceed is loud and impassioned. The private sector warns that failure to uphold due process could erode investor confidence and destabilize the economy.

As business leaders emphasize, “Upholding the Rule of Law is essential not only to safeguard our institutions but also to ensure a stable, predictable environment for economic growth. It builds investors' confidence, attracts job-generating investments, and ultimately benefits all Filipinos.”

The academe supports the trial as a necessary step to restore the credibility of democratic institutions and sustain hope for the country’s future. Religious groups, including the Catholic Church, view it as a moral imperative—denouncing wrongdoing particularly at the highest levels of power.

Civil society organizations, meanwhile, stress that accountability, transparency, and the rule of law are non-negotiable foundations of democracy. Without them, public trust falters, and democratic norms are weakened.

The senator-judges will eventually vote to convict or acquit, but before they do so, they must shed their political stripes. Contrary to what the Duterte supporters are alleging, the clamor for the conduct of the impeachment trial is not about being anti-Duterte. Or being pro-administration. This is about accountability, transparency, and justice. 

At the end of the day, what the people want is to simply hold the trial with expediency and credibility – a fair process where questions are answered openly, and the truth is pursued without delay or compromise. 

Among the seven articles of impeachment, the Vice President faces serious allegations—chief among them, the questionable use of confidential funds in the institutions she led, and threats to the lives of the president, the first lady, and the speaker of the House. These are high crimes against the people. If convicted, they carry the penalty of removal from office and a lifetime ban from holding any public position.

If the Vice President is truly innocent, a fair and objective trial that would expose the accusations as baseless will clear her name through due process.

Sadly, the blatant attempts to block scrutiny of the evidences behind the allegations suggest the opposite—that her camp is avoiding accountability and are willing to set aside their oaths of office and undermine their duty to the public just to protect her from facing legitimate investigation.

Yes, impeachment is inherently political—because those who act as senator-judges are elected officials with political loyalties. But their political mandate comes with a constitutional duty: to weigh the evidence and decide based on truth, not loyalty.

But the demeanor of some senators judges at this early stage showed an obvious bias for the VP and has raised calls to voluntarily inhibit themselves, which is unlikely.

In the end, the outcome hinges on votes, as we already saw in the Senate’s decision to return the complaint to the House. Yet the integrity of the process depends on whether those votes are cast in service of justice—or self-interest.

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When the next Congress convenes, a new set of senators will decide the fate not only of Vice President Sara Duterte, but—more importantly—the fate of our democracy.

Their actions will reveal where their true loyalties lie: with personal alliances, political convenience, or the principles of transparency and accountability in government.

It is true that there are many other concerns that our nation is facing. The economy needs attention. There are investments to attract, jobs to be created, the challenges of the education system, and evolving geopolitical dynamics, all of which are among the complex dimensions of our national security. 

Holding the impeachment trial is not a waste of time or resources—it is a necessary act of democratic responsibility.

Transparency and accountability are not abstract ideals; they are the foundation of a functioning government and a just society. Moving forward with the trial sends a clear message to future leaders: public office demands integrity, and misuse of power will have its day of reckoning. 

To the senator judges—and to all public servants—the people are watching, and they will remember. The public expects integrity, demands accountability, and deserves a government that serves the nation, not personal or political agendas. 

This is a test of our democracy—and the people will be its final judge.

Kit Belmonte is a co-convenor at CitizenWatch Philippines. He is also a three-term member of the House of Representatives.