Gatchalian: VP Duterte Criminal Case Won't Derail Impeachment Trial

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the criminal case against Vice President Sara Duterte will not affect the ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate, according to Inquirer.net. His remarks come after a Quezon City court issued an arrest warrant for Duterte over a grave threats case, as reported by the Philippine News Agency. The Quezon City court's action follows a complaint related to threats made by the Vice President. Inquirer.net separately reports that Gatchalian has urged the Philippine National Police to take Duterte's threats claim seriously. The Vice President has since posted bail but skipped the standard mugshot procedure, according to The Manila Times. Inquirer.net's coverage of the situation describes a shift in Duterte's public statements, moving from defiant remarks to expressing that she does not feel safe, as detailed by Rappler. The arrest warrant and the impeachment trial are separate legal processes, and Gatchalian's statement indicates that the Senate proceedings will move forward independently of the criminal case.  The impeachment trial against Duterte continues in the Senate while the criminal case progresses in the courts. Gatchalian's comments suggest that senators do not view the arrest warrant as a procedural obstacle to their work. The Vice President's legal team has addressed the criminal complaint through bail, but the mugshot refusal adds another layer to the ongoing story. Observers will watch whether the criminal proceedings and the impeachment trial intersect in the coming weeks, particularly as Duterte's legal strategy unfolds across both venues. The Senate is expected to stick to its schedule despite the parallel case.