The House of Representatives has denied any responsibility for the controversial delay in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Meanwhile, incoming senators offered contrasting views on the looming impeachment trial, exposing early fractures within the 20th Congress even before it could formally convene.
House spokesperson Princess Abante issued the denial, pointing out that the chamber did not buck the entry of appearance in the Senate impeachment court of the Vice President’s lawyers.
“Walang tumanggi – tamang proseso lang ang sinunod (No one refused – only the right process was followed),” Abante pointed out.
She asserted that the House did its job and submitted the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.
“It is now for the Senate to make the next move. If there is any delay, it is not from the House,” Abante stressed.
She was reacting to allegations by impeachment court spokesman lawyer Reginald Tongol that the refusal of the House to accept the Vice President’s legal team’s entry of appearance could delay her trial.
She appealed to her impeachment court counterpart to not confuse the public on the service of entry.
“In the midst of these issues, just ask the speaker of the Senate: don’t confuse the public. Don’t use a clerical detail as an excuse to pass the blame to the House. It’s a small thing that is exaggerated as if it has a bad purpose, when the intention of the staff is clear – to follow the process, not to cause inconvenience,”Tongol added.
She clarified that last June 16, a messenger arrived at the gate of the House of Representatives in Quezon City and tried to submit a document.
“But it is not clear where it came from and what kind of document it is. There is no cover letter, no formal explanation. That is why it was not immediately accepted – not because it was rejected, but because the purpose and proper processing had to be clarified first,” she said in Filipino.
She insisted that the House did not refuse to receive the document, contrary to what the Vice President’s legal team made it appear in a note on it – “Tender Copy – Refused to Receive.”
“There was no bad intention. Nothing was denied. All that was sought was the correct identification of the document. If it was an Entry of Appearance, I wish it had been said immediately—so that it could be processed properly,”Abante argued.
She pointed out that the Vice President’s lawyers’ entry of appearance in the Senate impeachment court is not even a requirement for the trial to proceed.
The Entry of Appearance is not a requirement for the impeachment trial to proceed. It has no effect on the course of the proceedings. And above all, this is not the reason why there has been no trial until now),” Abante noted.
“Let’s not turn a serious process into a (TV series). Impeachment is not about the victim or the perpetrator – it is about truth, accountability, and justice,” she said.
Come-backing Senator Francis Pangilinan asserted that the Senate’s jurisdiction over the impeachment case remained intact despite the transition to a new Congress.
“The Senate is a continuing body, therefore the 20th Congress, as jurisdiction has been established and acquired by the 19th Congress, it will carry over to the 20th Congress. Our duty is to try and decide the case,” Pangilinan said.
He insisted that the Senate’s role is to weigh the evidence, adding that the outcome, either conviction or acquittal, should depend entirely on the strength of the case presented.
Despite his position on jurisdiction, Pangilinan declined to discuss the future composition or dynamics of the Senate minority.
Former Senate President and incoming senator Vicente Sotto signalled uncertainty and dissatisfaction with the decision to return the Articles of Impeachment to the House of Representatives.
Sotto described the entire situation as “up in the air” and emphasized that the future course of the proceedings will depend on what the 20th Congress inherits from its predecessor.
“I don’t know what their plan is because we are not part of the 19th Congress. It’s also difficult to give any commentary about the impeachment itself or the procedures that should be followed,” he said.
“I don’t know what situation we’ll be walking into. We won’t know what the 19th Congress will do until 12 noon on June 30,” he added.
The senator-elect hinted that if the case is reintroduced, any senator could move to reopen deliberations and trigger debates anew.
Incoming Senator Erwin Tulfo, for his part, appeared resigned to the process, calling it a constitutional duty even if it will divert time and attention away from legislation.
Tulfo acknowledged that many might oppose the proceedings but said it is important to hold the trial to lay the facts before the public.
“I guess we have to do our job. The only question is how. What will be the outcome? So it still depends on the evidence that will be submitted by the prosecution,” he said.
Tulfo expressed willingness to vote for dismissal if the case lacks merit and suggested that a public airing of the case could eliminate doubts about the Vice President’s actions.
Incoming Senator Rodante Marcoleta simply shrugged off the issue, saying to let the “experts” handle it.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “House spox on VP Duterte trial delay: Don’t look at us”
