The House of Representatives has requested the assignment of a work area in the Senate building for the Public Prosecution Panel in preparation for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a March 5 letter, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco asked Senate President Francis Escudero to provide a space that will serve as a holding and work area for the House prosecutors and the House Secretariat Support Group (SSG) for the duration of the impeachment trial.
Velasco requested an inspection of the designated room to ensure it meets the needs of the prosecution team.
The request came as Congress moves forward with its role in the upcoming impeachment trial, following the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment against VP Duterte in February.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez also acknowledged receipt of a separate letter from Escudero dated February 24 regarding the verified impeachment complaint and Senate preparations for the trial.
Romualdez assured the Senate that the House of Representatives is committed to ensuring that the proceedings are conducted fairly and in accordance with the Constitution.
Romualdez emphasized the importance of maintaining coordination between both chambers of Congress to ensure a smooth and transparent impeachment process.
The Senate is expected to act on the request as the impeachment trial progresses with both chambers of Congress now fully engaged in the historic proceedings.
GABRIELA Women’s party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas on Sunday meanwhile called Vice President Sara Duterte’s International Women’s Day message as “hypocritical and empty rhetoric” that ignores the devastating impact of the previous administration’s policies on Filipino women and their families.
“It is the height of hypocrisy for the Vice President to call for strengthening laws against gender-based violence when her father’s administration perpetuated one of the most violent campaigns that left thousands of mothers grieving for their children killed in the so-called war on drugs,” she said.
The past administration’s policies disproportionately affected women from poor communities, with many left as widows and sole breadwinners after their husbands and sons were killed in anti-drug operations.
“The audacity! She has the guts to call for justice when thousands of women were left behind by their husbands (drug war victims,” she said.
The party-list representative also called on the public to support genuine efforts to advance women’s rights and welfare.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “House asks Senate to allocate space for impeachment prosecutors”