THE SENATE no longer needs to convene as an impeachment court after the Supreme Court voided the impeachment of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, Senate President Francis G. Escudero said on Tuesday.

“The Supreme Court decision states that the impeachment court has no jurisdiction to discuss the articles of impeachment,” he told a news briefing.

He added that the Senate’s next moves should be decided by the Senate plenary without convening as an impeachment court.

“I think it would be safer for the Senate to decide on this matter instead of the impeachment court,” he said. “If the Senate will act on it, the Senate should act on it in the plenary.”

Last week, the high court ruled that Ms. Duterte’s impeachment violated the constitutional ban on filing more than one impeachment complaint against an official within a year.

The tribunal also cited violations of the Vice-President’s right to due process. As a result, any new impeachment complaint against her may only be filed after Feb. 6, 2026.

Four impeachment complaints had been filed against her. While the first three were dismissed, the fourth was adopted by more than 200 members of the House of Representatives — exceeding the one-third requirement for transmittal to the Senate.

Mr. Escudero, whom critics had accused of delaying the Vice-President’s impeachment trial, said disregarding the high court’s ruling could trigger a constitutional crisis.

“The Supreme Court has decided, whether you agree with it or not, it must be followed,” he said. “Otherwise, we will have a constitutional crisis. And neighboring countries might see us as a banana republic where we only follow what we want.”

He defended the Senate’s cautious approach, saying it had been vindicated by the Supreme Court’s findings.

“The Senate’s caution cannot be criticized, especially after seeing the decision where the Supreme Court criticized the haste, saying the impeachment was wrong and violated the defendant’s right to due process,” he added.

Outside the Senate, several civil society groups staged demonstrations calling for the trial against Ms. Duterte to proceed despite the court’s ruling.

In his remarks after being re-elected as Senate President, Mr. Escudero pushed back against public pressure. “We will not be cowed by the shrillest of voices. We will stand up for what is right, what is just, and what is consistent with the rule of law and our Constitution,” he said.

Vice-President Duterte, seen as a leading contender for the presidency in 2028, was impeached in February, with more than 200 congressmen endorsing the complaint. She faces allegations of fund misuse, unexplained wealth, destabilization, and plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., his family, and the Speaker. She has denied all accusations.

Mr. Escudero separately said in plenary that the Philippine Senate is expected to decide by Aug. 6 whether to uphold the Supreme Court’s ruling that declared the impeachment of the Vice-President unconstitutional.

The decision will follow a full-member caucus to give lawmakers ample time to review the high court’s 97-page ruling.

“It was agreed in caucus that the matter will be decided upon by the Senate on Aug. 6, 2025, when we open session on that date, in order to afford ample and sufficient time for the members to study the 97-page decision,” he added.

Meanwhile, House of Representatives spokesperson Priscilla Martie T. Abante said the chamber would seek a reconsideration of the court ruling.

“It’s really up to the Senate what action they take following the Supreme Court’s decision,” she said. “But again, that decision is not yet final.”

She said the House had complied with the Constitution and its own rules. “The proceedings did not violate the one-year ban on impeachment because only one complaint was initiated — specifically, the fourth complaint,” she added. — Adrian H. Halili and Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

By Adrian H. Halili and Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporters

SENATORS on Tuesday filed a joint resolution calling for greater transparency in bicameral conference committee proceedings, citing irregularities in the 2025 national budget deliberations that they said violated the Constitution and undermined public trust.

“The bicameral conference committee deliberations on the 2025 General Appropriations bill, which was eventually signed into law as Republic Act No. 12116, were attended by budget irregularities and distortions,” the senators said in Senate Joint Resolution No. 1.

The resolution was signed by Senators Vicente C. Sotto III, Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel, Panfilo M. Lacson, Lorna Regina B. Legarda, Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, Francis N. Pangilinan and Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV.

“The most serious irregularity was the violation of the constitutionally mandated provision that education shall have the highest budgetary priority,” according to the resolution.

The resolution calls for all bicameral conference committee deliberations to be open to the public, either through live attendance or livestreaming. It also proposed that the committee produce and publish a matrix comparing the Senate and House versions of the budget bill, including how disagreements were resolved.

“This matrix will be made available to the public,” the senators said, adding that detailed minutes of every bicameral meeting should also be produced and released.

The push for reform comes after the 2025 budget process drew criticism when the bicameral committee raised unprogrammed funds to more than P500 billion and inserted allegedly blank line items, prompting concerns that changes were made after Congress ratified the bill.

“Corruption and harmful political insertions in legislation lead to the unfair use of public funds,” the senators said. “Corruption deprives the poor and the underprivileged of food security, decent housing, timely healthcare, quality and accessible education, and effective responses to the climate emergency.”

“It also slows down progress toward achieving sustainable development goals,” they added.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez responded on Tuesday by pledging to open future bicameral deliberations on the national budget to public scrutiny. “Transparency is not just a value, it is a weapon against corruption,” he told the House floor.

He said civil society groups would be allowed to sit in during discussions, and that proceedings would be televised. Observers will also be allowed to witness committee hearings as part of broader efforts to rebuild trust in the process.

In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. warned Congress that he would reject any proposed budget not aligned with his administration’s priorities — even if it meant a reenacted budget.

“We heard the President’s SONA and we took to heart his call, his frustration even, about the lingering shadow of corruption in our institution,” Mr. Romualdez said.

Meanwhile, minority House lawmakers filed House Joint Resolution No. 2, echoing the Senate proposal and calling for public access to bicameral meetings and a clear record of changes made to the budget.

“What we are striving for is to ensure that all discussions in Congress are transparent and accountable,” Albay Rep. Cielo Krisel B. Lagman told reporters.

The 2026 budget process is expected to begin in August, once the Executive branch submits its proposed national spending plan.

The Development Budget Coordination Committee has proposed a P6.793-trillion budget, 7.4% higher than this year’s allocation and equivalent to 22% of the country’s economic output.