Lawyers representing Vice President Sara Duterte have reiterated their request for the Supreme Court to issue a status quo ante order and interim relief to suspend the impeachment trial due to unresolved constitutional disputes over the presiding officer's authority.

The petitioners argue that the trial's legitimacy is compromised by the ongoing debate over whether the Senate President should preside over the proceedings.

Key issues include the validity of the June 3 Senate session that elected Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore, the amendment to Rule 2 allowing a non-Senate President to preside, and the lack of clear constitutional provisions supporting the current presiding officer.

The lawyers emphasize that allowing the trial to proceed under disputed leadership risks invalidating the entire process, leading to public resource waste, institutional harm, and prejudice.This follows consolidated petitions filed by lawyer Israelito Torreon and Duterte, with four total petitions submitted to the SC.The High Court has consolidated the first two, while others were filed post-consolidation.The petitioners stress that the trial's validity hinges on resolving these constitutional challenges before proceeding.