The decision of the Senate to push back the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to June when Congress resumes session is not aligned with the provision of the Constitution, former presidential adviser Teresita Deles said.
Deles, representing Tindig Pilipinas, joined other members of the Buhay ang EDSA People Power Network Friday in asking the Senate to act on the impeachment immediately.
“The Constitution is forthright with this. Once the impeachment complaint reaches the Senate, the impeachment trial should start,” said Deles, who was part of the group that filed the first impeachment complaint against the Vice President.
“The Constitution does not say that if they are in recess, that they should wait for the recess to be finished. It does not say to do so only at your convenience. What the Constitution stated is forthwith: The impeachment trial should start,” Deles said.
“This is our call (on the Senate): Follow the Constitution and your mandate regarding the impeachment,” she added.
Kiko Aquino-Dee, grandson of late senator Ninoy and late President Corazon Aquino and executive director of Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation, said while the transmittal of the impeachment complaint was done at the last minute, it does not justify delaying the proceeding further.
“Two wrongs don’t make a right,” Aquino-Dee said. “There was already a delay in the House and it would not be good for us if a similar delay happens again.”
Senate Secretary Renato Bantug received the Articles of Impeachment from the House of Representatives at 5:49 p.m. on Wednesday. It was, however, not reported to the plenary before the session ended shortly at 7:00 p.m.
Senate President Francis Escudero said the earliest possible schedule for the Upper Chamber to act on the impeachment complaint will be on June 2, when Congress resumes session after the midterm elections.
And while a special session may be called during the break, it cannot be to convene an impeachment court, Escudero said.
“That (call for special session) can happen. But the calling of a special session, as far as I know, is not to convene an impeachment court. As far as I know, the calling of a special session is for important things and bills that need to be passed,” he said.
“According to our Constitution, convening an impeachment court is not covered by that provision related to the special session. Legally, it can’t be done because the impeachment court was not convened before Congress went on break,” Escudero added.
Meanwhile, lawmakers at the House of Representatives dismissed Duterte’s recent statements on the impeachment complaint filed against her, describing it as an attempt to downplay the gravity of the case, revealing an obvious anxiety over the looming Senate trial.
Reps. Pammy Zamora (Taguig City), Jil Bongalon (Ako Bicol Party-list), Paolo Ortega (La Union), and Jay Khonghun (Zambales) issued a joint statement following Duterte’s press conference Friday.
“Vice President Duterte also sought to undermine the legitimacy of the impeachment complaint by casting doubt on the lawmakers who signed it. Instead of addressing the accusations, she insinuated that the need for these lawmakers to justify their signatures was itself an admission of wrongdoing.”
“Her attempt at nonchalance cannot mask the reality of the situation. Her statements reflected an underlying fear, poorly disguised as indifference. The overwhelming majority of the House of Representatives has already found probable cause for impeachment,” they added.
Ortega also criticized the Vice President for painting a false narrative that life was better under the administration of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“I think VP Sara lives in another dimension. When did Filipino life get better during his father’s time? Under the administration of President Marcos, the economy is improving, inflation is decreasing, and support for Filipinos continues to pour in despite global challenges,” Ortega said.
“Our question to VP Sara: Was the life of Filipinos better when the government was piled high in debt, there was pandemic mismanagement, and extrajudicial killings were rampant? Is it better for the culture of fear, corruption, and incompetence to continue?” he added.