President Marcos will have to call a special session for the Senate to proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Francis Escudero said yesterday.
‘The Senate cannot unilaterally decide to hold a special session. There’s a process, a procedure, and a basis needed before calling one. It’s not that simple,” he told Super Radyo dzBB in Filipino.
President Marcos, on the other hand, has said that he would call for a special session if the Senate asks for it.
Escudero’s comment came after Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III argued that the trial could proceed even during Congress’ break and asked for an all-senators caucus on the issue.
Escudero emphasized that informal meetings or caucuses among senators do not equate to a special session that can establish an impeachment court.
Escudero stated that while the impeachment process may begin when sessions resume in June, the actual trial, which includes the presentation and admission of evidence, is unlikely to start until the 20th Congress convenes after July 28.
He also advised the prosecution to focus on gathering evidence and preparing their case instead of rushing the process, emphasizing that they have had ample time to get ready and should not later ask for extensions or delays.
“Everything we do in the coming days will be guided by the principle that, as much as possible, I do not want to give anyone a reason to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court and halt our process just because we yielded to those who are impatient and in a rush,” he said.
However, House leaders are also appealing to their counterparts at the upper chamber to treat Duterte’s impeachment with a greater sense of urgency.
Manila Rep. Joel Chua, one of the 11 members of the House prosecution team, said the House of Representatives is all set for VP Duterte’s trial.
In a radio interview, Chua, chairman of the committee on good government and public accountability, said he believes the Senate does not have to await a special session call from the President and can convene an impeachment court on its own.
Asked about the stand of Escudero that the trial would start in July after the convening of the 20th Congress, the House prosecution panel member said they respect Escudero’s opinion.
“But our stand is to immediately try the impeachment because that is the order of the Constitution. You know that the Constitution is not just an ordinary law,” Chua said.
For his part, House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Khonghun of Zambales appealed to senators to reflect on the gravity of the impeachment charges against Vice President Sara Duterte as they prepare for trial.
He raised a question to senators, asking “is it okay to hire an assassin to kill your wife or husband?”
“If a government official orchestrated a plot to assassinate the President, First Lady, and the Speaker of the House, and if someone made the same threat against your own families, how would you respond?” he further asked.
“This is the question senators must ask themselves as they fulfill their duty under the Constitution to try VP Duterte,” Khonghun added.
Meanwhile, House Deputy Majority Leader Francisco Paolo Ortega V of La Union called on Vice President Sara Duterte and her allies to stop abusing legal processes in a desperate bid to divert public attention away from the real issues surrounding her impeachment.
In a statement on Sunday, Ortega denounced the numerous cases filed almost daily or three times a week in the Supreme Court and Office of the Ombudsman against House leaders who upheld the rule of law in the impeachment process.
The lawmaker believes the cases were clearly meant to intimidate, harass and create media distractions, instead of seeking legitimate legal redress.
He was referring to the petitions filed by Duterte and lawyers defending her before the Supreme Court to block the impeachment proceedings last February 18.
“This is a clear abuse of legal processes. Instead of addressing the serious allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds, the Vice President and her camp are wasting the time of our courts with frivolous cases designed to harass those who simply did their duty,” Ortega said.
