Escudero elected as presiding officer in Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Chiz Escudero will preside the historic impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte after a majority of senators elected him as presiding officer at the start of the trial on Monday, July 6.

Escudero replaced Senate President Win Gatchalian, who would have presided under the Senate’s previous impeachment rules. Weeks before the trial, however, the Senate amended its rules to allow a senator other than the Senate president to preside over the proceedings if there is a “majority vote of the members present.”

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson earlier identified Escudero as the majority bloc’s choice for the role, citing his experience as a lawyer. Lacson also said Senator Kiko Pangilinan, also a lawyer, had been considered.

In an interview with Storycon on June 30, Lacson said having a lawyer preside over the trial would help ensure the proceedings run “smoothly.” He added that a non-lawyer has limited knowledge of court rules and legal procedure.

Before Escudero’s election, Tindig Pilipinas, a coalition of civil society groups, had expressed concern over the possibility of him serving as presiding officer.

“In a Senate composed of imperfect options, we recognize the tactical considerations that may have informed this plan. But among the available options, this is perhaps the most imperfect and one of the most dangerous,” read the group’s statement released on Friday, June 19.

The coalition said its concerns stemmed from Escudero’s role during the initial stages of Duterte’s impeachment proceedings last year, when he was Senate president. It argued that his “twisted interpretation” of the Constitution’s directive to proceed “forthwith” with impeachment proceedings became the basis for delaying and deferring the process.

On August 6, 2025, under Escudero’s leadership, the Senate voted to archive the articles of impeachment against Duterte, effectively ending the case. At least 19 senators, including Gatchalian and several members of what is now the Senate majority bloc, voted in favor of archiving the complaint.

Escudero was part of the bloc that included several senators with close ties to the Duterte family.

He, however, jumped to Gatchalian’s bloc on the last day of the regular session last July 3.

During the 2022 elections, Duterte endorsed Escudero’s Senate bid despite his exclusion from the official Marcos-Duterte slate.

While much of the criticism has centered on Escudero’s ties to the Duterte family, Gatchalian — who would have presided over the impeachment trial under the previous Senate rules — also has political ties to the vice president.

During the 2022 elections, Gatchalian paid for P12.827 million worth of political advertisements for Duterte. In 2021, he also publicly offered to be Duterte’s running mate while she was considering a presidential bid. – Rappler.com