MANILA — Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero on Monday rejected Dec. 16 as a fixed or official target for a verdict in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, saying the date floated by the court’s spokesperson was based merely on mathematical projections rather than the realities of the proceedings.
Escudero described spokesperson Reginald Tongol’s estimate as “not entirely accurate,” stressing that while it could serve as a working computation, it should not be interpreted as the impeachment court’s official timetable.
He said the Dec. 16 projection was “based on math, not based on the realities on the ground of the trial.”
Escudero made the clarification after senator-judge Raffy Tulfo sought an explanation over Tongol’s public remarks that the senator-judges could potentially render a verdict by Dec. 16, 2026, based on the pace of the proceedings and the number of trial days remaining.
According to Escudero, Tongol’s statement caught several members of the impeachment court by surprise. He said the court would direct the spokesperson accordingly.
Senator-judge Francis Pangilinan also criticized Tongol for making the projection, arguing that the spokesperson should not express personal views as though they represented the impeachment court.
Pangilinan said Tongol “has no authority to issue his personal opinions on the court’s behalf.”
Tulfo, meanwhile, raised concerns over what he described as repeated lapses by the spokesperson and urged the impeachment court to consider issuing a warning.
He said Tongol’s announcement appeared to have “preempted” the senator-judges by publicly suggesting when they could reach a verdict.
Escudero said he would consider Tulfo’s recommendation and that the court would respond to the concerns raised.
The Senate impeachment court continues to hear evidence and resolve issues raised by the prosecution and defense in Duterte-Carpio’s trial./PN
