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Ridon Insists Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial Must Push Through On July 6
Photo credit: Terry Ridon
House impeachment prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said questions surrounding the participation of detained senator-judges or those facing legal issues should not be used as a reason to postpone the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Speaking in a radio interview on Sunday, Ridon stressed that while the Senate impeachment court and the Sandiganbayan have the authority to determine whether certain senators may attend the proceedings, the scheduled start of the trial on July 6 should remain unchanged.
According to Ridon, any legal concerns involving senator-judges must be addressed separately and should not affect the timetable of the impeachment case.
The issue surfaced after Sen. Panfilo Lacson raised possible scenarios involving senator-judges who may be detained, facing court cases, or subject to restrictions imposed by the Sandiganbayan.
Ridon said the House prosecution panel would respect whatever decision the Senate impeachment court and the anti-graft court make regarding the attendance of affected senators, including whether special permission would be granted for them to participate in the proceedings.
However, he emphasized that the prosecution would oppose any move to delay the trial because of those concerns.
“The impeachment trial should not be postponed simply because a senator-judge has to settle issues related to a suspension or legal matter before the Sandiganbayan,” Ridon said.
He noted that the country has seen detained senators in the past, and the Senate impeachment court may look at previous practices to determine how such situations were handled, including whether senators who missed portions of the proceedings could still participate or cast votes.
Ridon said those procedural questions are for the Senate impeachment court to resolve.
For the House prosecution team, he explained, the task remains unchanged: to present evidence and convince at least 16 senator-judges to support the case.
He added that the prosecution panel is focused on moving forward with the scheduled proceedings, including the June 18 pre-trial and the formal start of the impeachment trial on July 6.
“The important thing is that the trial begins on July 6 as scheduled,” Ridon stressed.
The House prosecutors, he said, are prepared to appear before the Senate impeachment court and proceed with the case as planned.
Speaking in a radio interview on Sunday, Ridon stressed that while the Senate impeachment court and the Sandiganbayan have the authority to determine whether certain senators may attend the proceedings, the scheduled start of the trial on July 6 should remain unchanged.
According to Ridon, any legal concerns involving senator-judges must be addressed separately and should not affect the timetable of the impeachment case.
The issue surfaced after Sen. Panfilo Lacson raised possible scenarios involving senator-judges who may be detained, facing court cases, or subject to restrictions imposed by the Sandiganbayan.
Ridon said the House prosecution panel would respect whatever decision the Senate impeachment court and the anti-graft court make regarding the attendance of affected senators, including whether special permission would be granted for them to participate in the proceedings.
However, he emphasized that the prosecution would oppose any move to delay the trial because of those concerns.
“The impeachment trial should not be postponed simply because a senator-judge has to settle issues related to a suspension or legal matter before the Sandiganbayan,” Ridon said.
He noted that the country has seen detained senators in the past, and the Senate impeachment court may look at previous practices to determine how such situations were handled, including whether senators who missed portions of the proceedings could still participate or cast votes.
Ridon said those procedural questions are for the Senate impeachment court to resolve.
For the House prosecution team, he explained, the task remains unchanged: to present evidence and convince at least 16 senator-judges to support the case.
He added that the prosecution panel is focused on moving forward with the scheduled proceedings, including the June 18 pre-trial and the formal start of the impeachment trial on July 6.
“The important thing is that the trial begins on July 6 as scheduled,” Ridon stressed.
The House prosecutors, he said, are prepared to appear before the Senate impeachment court and proceed with the case as planned.
Jun 15, 2026
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