Senate President Francis Escudero yesterday denied that he is deliberately delaying the schedule for the presentation of impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte as part of political maneuvers to hold on the Senate presidency.
“I don’t see the connection, especially given the fact that the 20th Congress will have a totally different composition,” he said.
Originally scheduled for June 2, the transmission of the impeachment case has been moved to June 11.
Amid reports that some senators are already seeking support for potential bids for Senate president, Escudero said informal conversations are ongoing but not definitive.
“We’re discussing work not just for the 19th but also for the 20th Congress. But in my view, it’s still too early; whatever answers people give now might change next week or next month. So all these talks and positioning happening now are way too premature,” he said.
He also defended the new schedule for the presentation of the articles of impeachment against the Vice President.
“When Congress is in recess and as stated in Rule 1 of the Senate’s impeachment rules, the Senate President initially sets the schedule, but that doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. It can still be changed,” the Senate President said.
Esudero noted that the reference made by Senator Aquilino Pimentel to Rule 10 pertains specifically to the actual trial phase.
“We’re not at that stage yet. The trial hasn’t even started, and the impeachment complaint hasn’t been referred to the rules committee which would signal the formation of the impeachment court that will conduct the trial,” he explained.
The referral to the committee is required before the Senate can formally constitute itself as an impeachment court.
The senate chief added that if the full Senate chooses to revise the approach, any change to the rules at this stage could be seen as controversial.
“We’re choosing not to change the rules because people might say we’re altering them in the middle of the game. I’m certain that whatever changes we make now, someone from either side will end up complaining,” he said.
Escudero also addressed concerns about the issuance of a summons to the Vice President once the articles are presented.
He said whether that happens on June 3 or June 11, it would have the same outcome since the period to respond would fall during the congressional recess.
Escudero added that the trial itself, if it proceeds, would not begin until July 28, but legislative priorities up for second and third reading could be affected by delays.
Meanwhile, Escudero pointed out that there is much legislative work to be done, cautioning fellow legislators against engaging in premature political debates related to the upcoming impeachment proceedings.
“Surely, if we’re given a choice between two possible actions or two paths to take, we should choose the one that does more for our fellow Filipinos,” he stressed.
“Right now, there’s still a lot of work ahead of me as Senate President in the next two weeks, and that’s where I’ll be focusing my attention for now,” he added.
With only six session days left before adjournment, Escudero underscored the urgency of passing 12 priority bills identified in the recent Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council meeting.
These include the E-Governance Act, the Anti-POGO Act, amendments to the Universal Health Care Act, and the Rationalization of the Fiscal Mining Regime.
Escudero noted that under Senate rules, bills must be approved on second reading this week to make it to third reading next week.
“Time is of the essence if we want these measures to be passed before the 19th Congress ends,” he concluded.
