MANILA, Philippines — Senators were told on Tuesday to practice “impartiality” and “objectivity” amid the heat of calls to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a statement, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero told the Senate that while impeachment is an act of “political exercise,” the senators should approach it with impartiality and objectivity demanded of the officials.

The official also told Senators to “refrain” from making “any public comments” or statement regarding the allegations in the complaint’s article of impeachment.

”Should the Senate be called upon to act as an impeachment court, any perception of bias or pre-judgment would undermine not only the integrity of the impeachment trial but also the public’s trust in the Senate as an institution,” Escudero said.

According to the senate president, senators must remain “steadfast” in upholding the principles of justice and fairness, ensuring that every step of the process adheres to the Rule of Law. 

“This is what justice requires. This is what our people demand,” he said.

Under the Constitution, the House of Representatives has the power to impeach government officials as it requires a one-third vote of all its members to approve the Articles of Impeachment, which are essentially the charges against the public official. While the Senate acts as the impeachment court, presided over by the Chief Justice in cases involving the President. A two-thirds vote of the senators is required to convict and remove the official.

Discussions about impeachment have emerged following a series of controversies involving Vice President Sara Duterte. These include her sharp criticisms of President Bongbong Marcos and allegations of fund mismanagement during her tenure as head of the Department of Education.

Recently, the Vice President made headlines for a heated outburst during an online conference, where she cursed the First Couple and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The rift between the country’s two highest officials—once allies in the 2022 elections under the UniTeam banner—has been brewing since earlier this year. Tensions escalated when Duterte attended the “Hakbang ng Maisug” rally shortly after making a brief appearance at the “Bagong Pilipinas” launch.

With less than half of their terms completed, the former allies have publicly severed ties, admitting that their unity as the UniTeam was effective only during the campaign period.