House cites Senate inquiry in request to summon Sara
Citing last week’s Senate hearing on the legality of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and transfer to The Hague, impeachment prosecutors on Tuesday asked the chamber to possibly convene as a court to summon and try impeached Vice President Sara Duterte earlier than scheduled.
House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, who has been tapped to head the 11-man prosecution team, said the panel deferred filing the March 14 entry with motion to issue summons because senators earlier said they would not be able to work while Congress was on break.
“But apparently, they (Sen. Imee Marcos’ committee on foreign affairs) held a hearing on Thursday (March 20). So it meant the Senate is still working,” Libanan said.
He and fellow impeachment prosecutor 1-Rider Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez filed before the Senate the “Entry with Motion to Issue Summons” addressed to Senate President Francis Escudero as presiding officer of the impeachment court.
They asked Escudero to issue a summons to Duterte and to direct her to file an answer to the verified impeachment complaint against her “within a nonextendable period of 10 days from receipt of the writ of summons.”
‘Forthwith proceed’
Libanan cited the constitutional provision stating that the “trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed” upon the filing of the verified impeachment complaint or resolution by at least one-third of all House members.”
He said that Escudero’s timeline of initiating proceedings on June 4 would not be in accordance with existing rules of procedure on impeachment cases.
On Feb. 5, the House transmitted to the Senate the verified complaint for impeachment signed by 215 representatives against Duterte, which constitute the Articles of Impeachment.
