Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday clarified that the Senate will act on the Articles of Impeachment “forthwith” and without unnecessary delay, stressing that the institution will fully comply with its constitutional duties while ensuring proper legal process.
“There won’t be delays,” Cayetano said in an interview with reporters. “We will do what has to be done. Judge us by our actions.”
Asked directly whether the Senate would immediately convene upon receipt of the Articles of Impeachment, Cayetano responded unequivocally: “Forthwith.”
He explained that the Senate leadership is already consulting members and former Senate officials on the proper procedural steps to ensure that the process is conducted with transparency, fairness, and institutional integrity.
“I also consulted former Senate President Tito Sotto. The guidance was to follow the process and refer the matter appropriately through the Committee on Rules. We will follow the law and the rules of the Senate,” he said.
Cayetano emphasized that while the impeachment process is a constitutional accountability mechanism that deserves full attention, the Senate must also continue addressing urgent national concerns, particularly economic issues affecting ordinary Filipinos.
“We cannot focus only on impeachment because there are many pressing economic challenges facing the country,” he said. “But this is an important accountability process, and we will give it the full attention it deserves.”
The Senate President also underscored the importance of collective institutional decision-making, saying he intends to convene an all-member caucus to ensure that major decisions are discussed thoroughly and transparently among senators.
“This will not be the decision of only one committee or one person,” he said.
Cayetano likewise reiterated his broader principle that the Senate, as an institution, must always operate within the rule of law.
“We are lawmakers, not lawbreakers,” he said. “The Philippines is a nation of laws, not of men.”
He stressed that due process, adherence to legal remedies, and respect for constitutional procedures remain essential principles that must guide all actions of government institutions.