Senators call talk of Duterte removal premature amid impeachment trial

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and other lawmakers urged their colleagues to refrain from discussing Vice President Sara Duterte's potential ouster while her impeachment trial remains in progress.

"It's as if there's already a certainty of a guilty verdict," Senator JV Ejercito said during Monday's session, characterizing such discussions as "uncalled for" and "premature."

Ejercito welcomed Cayetano's appeal to senators to maintain proper decorum and allow the impeachment process to proceed without prejudgment. The senator's remarks underscore concerns that prematurely discussing removal from office could undermine the integrity of the ongoing trial.

The impeachment trial against the Vice President remains active in the Senate, where the full proceedings must determine the merits of charges filed against her. Lawmakers emphasized that such consequential matters should be addressed only after the judicial process concludes.