Soon, Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III may find himself tackling his third impeachment trial — and his first as Senate president and presiding officer — as the House of Representatives Committee on Justice prepares to wrap up its hearings on the impeachment complaints lodged against Vice President Sara Duterte.
On Monday, April 20, he told reporters in a text message that he and other senators are “preparing for any eventuality.” “Our rules are in place. I am brushing up on a combination of the Rules of Court and impeachment procedures,” he said. “I will remind my colleagues to remain impartial in case the Articles of Impeachment reach us.”
The House Justice Committee said that it would conclude the impeachment hearings on April 29, as it nears the end of an evidence-gathering phase. From there, the panel may transmit a report of its findings to the plenary on May 4, when Congress resumes. After reviews of the report and possibly further debate, House members will vote whether to transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate. Senators will then convene as an impeachment court to try Duterte on allegations of misuse of confidential funds.
The Articles of Impeachment are formal documents written up by Congress indicting a public official and initiating their removal from office. In January, Sotto said that if the Senate were to receive any such articles, he would act on them “forthwith.” As Senate president, Sotto will also have to take on the role of presiding officer if the Senate forms an impeachment court.
Duterte’s 2025 Impeachment Case
Former Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero served as presiding officer during Duterte’s first impeachment trial last year, but was criticized for delays in proceedings and the eventual dismissal of the case after the Supreme Court (SC) nullified it in July 2025. When the trial started in June 2025, Sotto was not yet sworn in as a senator and therefore not part of the impeachment court.
On August 6, 2025, during a heated debate in the Senate, Sotto opposed Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s motion to dismiss Duterte’s impeachment case on the basis of the SC’s decision.
“The decision is not yet final. A motion for reconsideration was filed by the House of Representatives just last Monday [August 4, 2025]. Why are we rushing to dismiss the case?” he said. “Let us allow and give [a] chance to the Supreme Court to rectify its decision, which contains clear and blatant errors, for their sake and for future impeachment proceedings. Let us not dismiss forthwith.”
Nonetheless, the Articles of Impeachment were archived based on a supermajority vote. While 19 senators voted to archive the case, four, including Sotto, voted against it. Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson abstained.
Trials of Corona and Estrada
Of the five officials whom the House plenary has impeached, including Duterte, only former Chief Justice Renato Corona was removed from office in a Senate trial. In 2001, President Joseph “Erap” Estrada’s trial was aborted and concluded with Estrada’s resignation instead. Two other impeachment cases also ended with the indicted official’s resignation: Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez in 2011 and Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista in 2017.
The 2012 impeachment trial against Corona, who was charged with betrayal of public trust and corruption, was led by former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as the presiding officer. Sotto was among the 20 senators who voted Corona guilty due to the nondisclosure of his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). The only lawmakers to vote for his acquittal were Senators Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and current President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
In the 2001 impeachment trial of Estrada, Sotto was among 11 senators who voted against opening an envelope allegedly containing evidence of corrupt acts by Estrada. The impeachment court’s inaction spurred rallies that would later be called EDSA 2.
