Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday said the Senate is fully capable of conducting an impeachment trial and passing crucial legislation before the 19th Congress ends.
“We can definitely handle both at the same time, and previous Senates have already done so when they also conducted impeachment trials,” Hontiveros said.
She highlighted the urgency of passing the Anti-POGO Act, which has already advanced to the period of amendments. The measure includes findings from a committee investigation into illegal activities linked to offshore gaming operations, including the case of Guo Hua Ping.
The senator said the Senate has already approved the committee report on second reading and expects full approval before the congressional term concludes.
Another priority for her is the committee report on widespread human trafficking, rape, and child abuse allegations against religious leader Apollo Quiboloy.
She expressed gratitude to Sen. Raffy Tulfo for being the first to sign the committee report and hopes other senators will follow suit.
“As you can see, all of these can move forward and be completed even as the impeachment trial begins, just as the Constitution instructs and as the public expects of us,” Hontiveros said.
She said the delay from June 2 to June 11, announced without full consultation among senators, sends the wrong signal to the public.
“It’s truly time to follow the Constitution and begin the impeachment trial. That kind of orderly and transparent trial is good for everyone,” Hontiveros said.
“Most importantly, the public will be able to see and scrutinize the evidence behind the allegations against VP Sara (Duterte) so that they, just like us senator-judges, can make an informed judgment,” she concluded.
