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Inhibition of senator-judge is voluntary: Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero on Monday, June 16, 2025, stresses that the Senate, convened as an impeachment court, could not compel a senator-judge from recusing himself or herself in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Escudero, sitting as the presiding judge of the impeachment court, maintains that calls for the inhibition of senator-judges for their perceived bias in favor of Duterte should be addressed to the “sound discretion” of each judge.

“The inhibition of any senator judge is voluntary. That is addressed to the sound discretion of each judge if there is a request for it,” Escudero said in Filipino during the media briefing. “But that will only be officially heard by the impeachment court if it is requested by the defense or the prosecution panel, not by anyone who is speaking outside of the impeachment right now,” he added. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)