MANILA - The Philippine Senate can only act on the impeachment complaint against Vice-President Sara Duterte on June 2 when Congress resumes after the midterm elections, Senate President Francis Escudero told a briefing on Thursday.
Escudero said the senators who will act as jurors need to swear an oath while Congress is in session before they can convene as an impeachment court.
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"Legally, it cannot be done," Escudero said.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday impeached Duterte, the daughter of the country's firebrand former leader Rodrigo Duterte.
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The impeachment complaint stemmed from allegations Duterte misused public funds while she was vice-president and education minister, amassed unexplained wealth, and threatened the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the first lady and the lower house speaker. She has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
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She became the second-most-senior elected official in the Philippines to be impeached after former President Joseph Estrada in 2000.