A LEADER of the House of Representatives on Sunday assured that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte will not disrupt Congress’ review of the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027, while maintaining that actions she took as Education secretary remain subject to impeachment scrutiny because she was still the country’s Vice President.
As the House of Representatives begins deliberations on the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. of Manila said the schedule of the Senate Impeachment Court allows lawmakers to continue performing their legislative duties, including reviewing the government’s spending priorities for next year.
‘The Impeachment Court only runs for four hours. It starts in the morning, and by three o’clock, deliberations begin, so I don’t think it will be affected,’ Abante, vice chairman of the Committee on Good Government, said.
The Senate, sitting as an Impeachment Court, is currently hearing the four Articles of Impeachment filed against Duterte by the House of Representatives. The proceedings have covered allegations involving threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, as well as the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
Abante, an endorser of the impeachment complaint against Duterte, said the proceedings should continue alongside Congress’ other responsibilities, including the examination and approval of the proposed national budget.
He expressed confidence that the impeachment trial and the budget deliberations can proceed simultaneously, adding that lawmakers must remain focused on their constitutional duties.