Escudero on VP post: ‘I’m not interested and I will reject it if it’s offered to me’
Senate President Francis Escudero reiterated on Tuesday that he is not interested in the vice presidential post in case Sara Duterte is convicted during the impeachment trial.
While the Senate President is third in the line of succession, he stressed that it is not automatic that he will be elevated to Vice President if the position is vacated.
“The entire Congress above the age of 40, and all of the senators, can be a choice of the President for vice president. I am simply one of them. But if you ask me, am I thinking about it? No. I am not interested,” Escudero said in a press conference in Sorsogon.
“Since we will be the ones rendering judgment during the trial, it would leave a bad taste in the mouth if it turns out that I’m interested in the position. So this early, I’m saying that I’m not interested and I will reject it if it is offered to me. It is not right, and it should not be done,” he added.
He suggested that members of Congress who voted to remove Duterte should decline any such offer or nomination to avoid accusations that they were only interested in the country’s second-highest position.
“Prudence is the better part of valor; delicadeza is rarely seen in government, but I think we can always go back to it and rekindle and refresh it in the minds of our people,” he said.
Preparatory work
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III urged Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino to set the stage for the impeachment trial of Duterte in keeping with the mandate of the Constitution.
“Preparatory work for the impeachment can proceed immediately as these actions are separate and distinct from the legislative functions of Congress,” he said.
“We have a constitutional duty that must take precedence over our reelection bid. While we may be busy with our campaigns, the best campaign is fulfilling our constitutional responsibilities. I trust that the upcoming election will not interfere with our mandate,” he added.
Pimentel’s statement came after his letter to Escudero asking the chamber to convene a caucus to discuss the impeachment trial was referred to the Committee on Rules, which Tolentino chairs.
“The Senate’s Committee on Rules must forthwith, immediately, right away, and without delay review the impeachment guidelines,” he said.
Pimentel emphasized the need for an all-senators caucus.
“We want to see, or we should see now, the level of interest among senators over this case. If the Senate President calls for an all-senators caucus and yet there is no quorum even in that caucus, that is a reflection of … more than one half do not have this on their radar, do not consider this completely their priority,” Pimentel said.
“The Senate must address the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte with the seriousness and speed it deserves. It is time for the leadership to take the lead in ensuring the Constitution is followed,” he added.
Escudero, however, reiterated the need for the impeachment to be tackled in an open session.
Hence, it would not be legally possible to do so now since Congress is on break.
According to Escudero, once the session resumes in June, the Senate will convene as an impeachment court and approve the impeachment rules.
