SENATORS QUESTION SC HALT OF VP SARA IMPEACHMENT TRIAL Senators Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino, and Kiko Pangilinan on Friday, July 25, expressed strong concern over the Supreme Court's decision to stop the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Hontiveros called the high court's ruling "disappointing," pointing out that the Court itself clarified it was not absolving the Vice President and that a new impeachment complaint could still be filed next year. However, she raised alarm over the "disturbing" implications of the ruling, including the sudden imposition of additional requirements before an impeachment trial can proceed. She questioned how the "one-year bar rule" was supposedly violated, citing the SC's own decision in Gutierrez v. House of Representatives, which emphasized that the bar pertains to the element of time, not the number of complaints. "I can only hope that this new ruling will not adversely affect future efforts to hold our highest public officers accountable," Hontiveros said, emphasizing that "public office is a public trust." Aquino asserted that the Senate has the sole constitutional authority to try impeachment cases and said the trial must proceed. "Handa na kaming dinggin ang lahat ng ebidensya para makapagdesisyon ng patas bilang mga hukom," he said. For his part, Pangilinan criticized the Supreme Court for interfering in what he described as the exclusive constitutional duty of Congress. "Sa usapin ng impeachment proceedings 'kinapon' o 'pinosasan' ng Korte Suprema ang HoR at ang Senado," he said, stressing that the Senate and House are co-equal branches with the judiciary. "Pinigil ang aming trabaho at mandato sa usapin ng public accountability... Hindi ito tama," Pangilinan added.