“It is apparent to me, the ones that will sit down as judges will be composed mostly of anti-administration senators”
As THE Senate is delaying the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, it is apparent it has its game plan.
From what I see, the Senate game plan is to continue to delay the impeachment case of the Vice President so that the impeachment case will cross over to the 20th Congress where the newly elected members of the Senate, composed mostly of anti-administration senators, will then sit as judges.
Recall that among the newly elected senators in the 20th Congress of the Philippines,some are known to be oppositionists, and pro-Duterte senators will also sit, like reelectionist Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and Ronald ”Bato” dela Rosa.
Included among the oppositionists are Senator Bam Aquino and Senator Kiko Pangilinan.
There is also the lone senator candidate of the Iglesia ni Cristo, Rodante Marcoleta.
Among the so-called administration senators you have Senator Imee Marcos who is known to be pro-Duterte and also Senator-elect Camille Villar, reportedly very close to Sara Duterte.
It is apparent to me, Santa Banana, the ones that will sit down as judges of the impeachment case of the VP will be composed mostly of anti-administration senators.
I am not saying the ones that will sit as judges will readily dismiss the case, since as I often said, judgment in any impeachment case is both legal and political.
I don’t know how far the lawyers and prosecutors of the House of Representatives will go to prove the Vice President betrayed public trust and committed culpable violation of the Constitution in connection with the disbursement and alleged misuse, Santa Banana, of her Confidential Funds, amounting to 250 million pesos.
As far as I know, Sara Duterte will have to explain why most of the recipients of her Confidential Funds are fictitious, without birth certificates, marriage certificates, or even death certificates, as per the records of the Philippine Statistics Authority.
I am not saying the Vice President’s impeachment case will be dismissed finally, my gulay.
It would appear all the delays and runaround by the Senate so far as the impeachment case is concerned will lead to the dismissal of the impeachment case.
All I am saying is from what I see, the Senate has a game plan.
The House of Representatives’ prosecutors must prove that Sara Duterte as VP and former Secretary of Education committed graft and corruption amounting to plunder, which amounts to betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.
The Senate has a game plan and the impeachment case, with the senators sitting as judges, will be tackled in the 20th Congress. .
All in all I am not predicting nor am I sure the impeachment case of Sara Duterte will be dismissed.
At this moment the House prosecutors must prove beyond reasonable doubt the VP betrayed public trust and committed culpable violation of the Constitution.
The Senate must be reminded that when the House of Representatives submits to the Senate the Articles of Impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, it is their Constitutional duty to convene as senator judges to try all the Articles of Impeachment, as much as it is also the Constitutional duty of the House of Representatives to formulate the Articles of Impeachment against anyone in public office.
At this point, I do not think there is no more question the Senate must sit down as senator judges and proceed immediately against the impeachment of the Vice President.
Whether or not the impeachment will continue beyond the 19th Congress to the 20th Congress is the question.
In any case, I cannot speculate on the outcome of the impeachment case of the Vice President. It is just a matter of speculation.
