Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero defended his decision to reject the House prosecution team’s motion that he issue a summons compelling Vice President Sara Duterte to answer the articles of impeachment, saying this would be illegal.
“They [congressmen] want me to do an illegal act. So, I’ll just throw the question back at them because this is getting exhausting. Do they really want to sabotage the impeachment that they filed?” the Senate President said over Super Radyo dzBB yesterday.
“Because that is the only explanation I see behind their actions… when the law is clear [on impeachment rules],” he added.
Escudero pointed out that summons can only be issued once Congress is in session, and after the articles of impeachment are endorsed by the plenary and the impeachment court is convened.
“It [the law] is so clear. To be honest, I‘m running out of patience… constantly reminding them. We are all legislators who know how to read the law… so long as there is no session, we cannot convene,” he stressed.
Escudero, who will serve as the presiding officer of the impeachment court, then warned the House prosecutors that their push to fast-track the impeachment process might just open this to legal questions.
“I’m just reminding members of the House of Representatives who are so determined to impeach Vice President Sara… your haste will only give the Vice President the excuse to question the process,” he said.
Meanwhile, House prosecutor and Iloilo Representative Lorenz Defensor earlier this week insisted that their motion to Escudero was completely legitimate.
“We always respect the Senate President as the presiding judge of the impeachment court, and we will only take steps that are legal,” he told reporters in Filipino.
“You cannot strong-arm [the Senate]. You always have to be respectful,” he added.