Manila, June 9 -- The Senate minority bloc on Monday made a unified and forceful appeal on the Senate floor to immediately convene as an impeachment court and begin the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, denouncing months of delay as a betrayal of constitutional duty.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III raised a question of privilege, warning that the Senate's inaction since receiving the articles of impeachment on Feb. 5 has sparked public distrust and suspicion that the trial is being deliberately stalled or even quietly abandoned.

"Respected academic institutions and legal organizations have spoken with one voice: the Senate must comply with its constitutional duty to 'forthwith proceed' with the impeachment trial,...