CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) has called on the Senate to proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying constitutional accountability and due process should move forward regardless of other ongoing investigations involving public officials.
FFW President Atty. Sonny Matula said the Constitution provides a legal process for holding government officials accountable and that impeachment proceedings should not be delayed because of unrelated cases.
“The law does not require every alleged wrongdoer to be prosecuted or impeached at the same time before one who has been properly charged can be held accountable,” Matula said.
The labor group said the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, has a constitutional responsibility to hear the case and review the evidence presented by both sides.
FFW also urged Senate President Win Gatchalian to actively lead the proceedings and called on senator-judges to ensure fairness and impartiality throughout the trial.
The group emphasized that hearing all evidence from both the prosecution and defense is important in protecting due process and public trust in democratic institutions.
FFW also appealed to the Office of the Ombudsman and other investigative bodies to enforce the law fairly, regardless of political affiliation.
Meanwhile, the camp of Vice President Duterte said it is prepared to face the impeachment proceedings and does not intend to delay the trial.
Defense spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa said the Vice President’s legal team has already filed its formal response to the Articles of Impeachment and is ready to present its defense before the Senate impeachment court.
The defense argued that the charges are “constitutionally infirm, procedurally defective, and substantively deficient,” while also asking the Senate to dismiss the case.
Poa added that Vice President Duterte is prepared to participate in the proceedings if necessary, subject to legal advice and Senate impeachment rules.
The Senate impeachment trial is expected to hear evidence from both the House prosecution panel and the Vice President’s defense team before senator-judges render a decision based on the Constitution.
