Makabayan calls out Chiz: VP impeachment ‘special enough’ to warrant quick trial
Makabayan bloc lawmakers on Monday slammed as “legally unsound” Senate president Francis Escudero’s assertion that the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte wasn’t special enough to warrant a special session of Congress.
ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Gabriela women’s party Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel called on Filipinos to demand Duterte’s accountability and reject any attempt to diminish the significance of the impeachment process.
They reiterated their call for President Marcos to immediately convene a special session to enable the Senate to constitute itself as an impeachment court, saying, “Every day of delay benefits the Duterte camp and their ongoing efforts to evade accountability.”
“We, the Makabayan bloc representatives, disagree with Senate President Chiz Escudero’s claim that impeachment is not ‘special’ enough to warrant a special session of Congress,” the lawmakers said.
“This position is not only legally unsound but serves to shield the Vice President from accountability,” they added.
Castro stressed that “Impeachment is undoubtedly special as it is a Constitutional process specifically designed to hold the highest officials of the land accountable for their actions,” adding that it wasn’t an “ordinary” process.
She pointed out that the 1987 Constitution acknowledges the exceptional nature of impeachment by limiting it to only a specific number of officials and specifying specific grounds.
Brosas asked: “How can Senate President Escudero claim that a process concerning the accountability of the second highest official of the land is not special?”
“This position only serves to protect Vice President Duterte from facing the serious allegations against her,” she said.
Manuel maintained that the administration’s reluctance to move forward with the impeachment process “raises serious questions about its commitment to accountability.”
According to the lawmakers, the integrity of the country’s democratic institutions depends on properly functioning accountability mechanisms.
“Filipinos shouldn’t be deprived of their right to witness how the country’s second highest official would be held accountable,” they pointed out in Filipino, adding, “The impeachment process is not a mere optional political exercise but a constitutional duty that must be fulfilled without delay.”
