House forms support group for Sara trial prosecutors
- No firm date has been set by the Senate for VP Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, but the House is gearing up by forming the secretariat that would provide critical support for its prosecution team.
- Memorandum Order No. 19-006 assigned key House staffers to the secretariat to perform, among other tasks, legal research, records management, transcription, information technology support, and security to the 11-member prosecution panel.
- Senate President Chiz Escudero earlier issued a special order organizing the administrative support staff to help the Senate once it convenes as an impeachment court.
The House of Representatives has set up its secretariat that would provide technical and other support for its prosecution team as it prepares for the looming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte despite no firm date set by the Senate for the start of the process.
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco on Thursday issued Memorandum Order No. 19-006 that assigned key House staffers to the secretariat to perform, among other tasks, legal research, records management, transcription, information technology support, security to the 11-member prosecution panel.
The secretariat, which will be headed by Velasco, will be composed of staff chosen from the House operations, legal affairs and administrative departments, and the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Velasco said the secretariat would ensure the orderly conduct of the trial of Duterte, the first Vice President of the Philippines to be impeached.
“This directive ensures that the prosecution team has access to essential logistical, research, and documentation support to facilitate a smooth and efficient trial process,” he said.
Manila Rep. Joel Chua, chair of the House committee on good government that uncovered alleged misuse of P615-million in Duterte’s confidential funds, said the secretariat would also serve as their “backstop” for the upcoming trial.
“This is a big deal for us because it proves that the House is ready and starting to prepare for the trial,” said Chua, who is also a member of the prosecution panel.
Chiz defends sked
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero has a “proposed calendar” for the trial, starting on June 3 with the swearing in of all current senators as impeachment court judges with him as the presiding officer. The senators who will be elected in the midterm polls in May will take their oaths on July 29 and the start of the trial or the submission of evidence will be on July 30, if the senators agree to this.
The trial could not be scheduled earlier, he said on Friday, lashing back on members of the House prosecution team for repeatedly accusing him of dragging his feet on the impeachment trial.
“If they want us to start the trial now, they should find a way to amend the Constitution because it states there that we could only start if (Congress) is in session,” Escudero said in an interview with radio dwPM.
He did not cite any specific provision in the 1987 Constitution, but he has often said that since Congress was in recess for the May polls, President Marcos would have to call a special session in order for the Senate to tackle the impeachment ahead of their return to the plenary on June 2.
“I’m not delaying (the impeachment process), but I’m not rushing it either,” he said. “We’re not lazy.”
The Senate leader was reacting to the remarks by Ako Bicol Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon, who called on Escudero to reconsider his decision to begin the impeachment proceedings only upon the resumption of their legislative session on June 2.
Bongalon, a 33-year-old lawyer, echoed the argument of several legal experts, among them Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, that the trial of an impeached official like Duterte must proceed “forthwith,” or immediately, following the Charter provision on impeachment.
Escudero turned the tables on the House, pointing out that Bongalon and the 214 other representatives endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte only on Feb. 5, the last day of their regular session and transmitted it just two hours before the Senate adjourned.
Reminder to Castro
The Senate earlier leader said he had issued a special order organizing the administrative support staff to help the Senate once it convenes as an impeachment court.
Escudero also reacted to a statement by Undersecretary Claire Castro of the Presidential Communications Office who said that the majority of the senators could write the President asking the chief executive to call a special session if the Senate leader was “not acting” on the impeachment.
Although Mr. Marcos does not support the impeachment move against his former ally, he also said that he would call a special session if the Senate makes a request.
“Let’s just forgive her because she’s still new and she’s just overly excited (in her new job),” Escudero said.
“I doubt that the President (shares) some of the things she said,” Escudero said.
Instead of picking on him, the Senate leader said Bongalon and the other lawmaker-prosecutors should instead spend their time to study their case against Duterte.
Escudero, who had also participated in the failed impeachment attempts against then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said the House prosecution team had more than enough time to prepare for the impeachment proceedings.
“My advice is for them to study and be good because when the trial starts, they might ask for more time and become finicky,” he said.
Chua expressed concerns that delays could undermine their case against Duterte.
“We respect the Senate President’s call but … we are also concerned (about) evidence tampering and secondly, our witnesses could back out as we prolong this trial,” he added.
Escudero previously stated that some senators might not be able to focus on the impeachment trial, citing various reasons such as overseas commitments and lack of interest in the proceedings.
No excuse
In response, Chua stressed that impeachment was a constitutional duty that should not be set aside for personal reasons.
Regarding the evidence in the charge against Duterte of allegedly misusing her confidential funds, Chua and Deputy Majority Leader and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega on Friday said that Vice President could not cite the “confidentiality” as excuse for not disclosing the real names of the beneficiaries who received some of the money.
The committee on good government found that over 600 alleged beneficiaries of Duterte’s confidential funds, including a “Mary Grace Piattos,” did not exist.
What Duterte did was “not a matter of failure to comply but refusal to comply … to hide something,” according to Ortega.
“Even confidential funds are subject to COA (Commission on Audit) rules, simple. But they didn’t want to comply,” he said.
