Sotto Says Senate Will Convene as Impeachment Court if House Transmits Duterte Articles

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III declared the upper chamber ready to convene as an impeachment court should the House of Representatives impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, directly contradicting viral videos claiming he had backed out. A video posted on May 4, 2026, asserted that Sotto had withdrawn from his role and that the impeachment would not proceed.

The clip, uploaded by the YouTube channel “Philippines Trending News,” which has over 534,000 subscribers, has garnered over 19,000 views, 600 likes, and 50 comments.

2 million subscribers. That earlier video accumulated over 436,000 views, 26,000 likes, and 1,500 comments. Both channels have consistently posted pro-Duterte content.

Sotto dismissed the claims. “Based on the Constitution, it’s automatic. That’s our job. No matter what others say, what matters is what the Constitution says: when Articles of Impeachment are received, we convene as an impeachment court,” he stated.

He added that the Senate can convene almost immediately after receiving the articles of impeachment. The trial proper, however, would require substantial preparation. Sotto explained that the process includes sending a copy of the Articles of Impeachment to the impeached official, allowing time for a response, conducting pre-trial proceedings, and only then moving to the trial itself.

He cited the Senate’s experience in the 2012 impeachment case of the late chief justice Renato Corona, in which pre-trial proceedings were held first. Sotto said the Senate may conduct the trial proper by June. The Senate can convene as an impeachment court after at least one-third or 106 members of the House of Representatives approve the articles of impeachment.

On May 4, 2026, the House justice committee approved its report finalizing Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case. House committee chairperson Gerville Luistro said a plenary vote may be held as early as May 11. Duterte is accused of misusing public funds, amassing ill-gotten wealth, and making death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Rappler has previously debunked several false claims involving Sotto and other public officials regarding the impeachment proceedings against Duterte. Sotto assured the public that the Senate is prepared to fulfill its constitutional duty should the House impeach Duterte.

While the convening is nearly automatic, he stressed that due process must be observed through the sequenced steps of notification, response, pre-trial, and trial.

The timeline he outlined points to a trial proper potentially opening in June if the House transmits the articles soon after its planned May 11 plenary vote.