Malacañang said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not call for a special session in Congress for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said it would be better if the Senate requested the President to call a special session rather than him doing it on his own.
“The way we see it, it would be awkward for the President to voluntarily call for a special session, especially with the rumors that he is behind the impeachment case. It is better for the Senate to make the request. The President has already said that if the Senate asks him to call a special session, he will do so,” Castro explained.
She added that while the Constitution allows the President to call a special session at any time, there is some uncertainty regarding impeachment proceedings. The impeachment process can continue even when Congress is in recess.
“If you read the Constitution, it says impeachment proceedings should ‘forthwith proceed.’ But it does not specify whether this applies even during recess. The process can continue if there is a session, but during recess, this is unclear,” Castro said.
Because of this, special sessions are not only for urgent bills or laws but also for impeachment trials.
Vice President Sara Duterte is facing an impeachment complaint over the questionable use of public funds and alleged threats to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
