Senate pressed to fulfill mandate, hold VP trial
A coalition of multisectoral groups, including leaders of the clergy, on Tuesday protested the delay in the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and called on the Senate to fulfill its constitutional mandate and convene as an impeachment court.
Members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) also marched to the Senate on Tuesday after Senate President Francis Escudero postponed the reading of the impeachment complaint to June 11 from June 2, citing the need to prioritize the passage of 12 priority bills before the current Congress adjourns on June 13.
At a press conference at the House of Representatives, 204 impeachment complainants, religious leaders, as well as students, artists, members of the Makabayan coalition and other civil society groups issued a joint statement urging the Senate to immediately proceed with Duterte’s trial.
They expressed “great alarm” over the delay and said they were “outraged by persistent talks or insinuations that the impeachment trial will not proceed because of so-called jurisdictional issues.”
“The delays go against the Constitutional provision that the Senate trial shall commence ‘forthwith’,” they pointed out.
The signatories also lamented President Marcos’ pronounced opposition to the impeachment and claimed his statement about his willingness to reconcile with the Dutertes threatened efforts at achieving accountability.
“It would be a great disservice to the nation if the impeachment trial will not proceed as mandated under the Constitution, despite the overwhelming evidence presented against the Vice President,” they said.
The coalition called on the Senate to thwart all efforts to scuttle the proceedings based on legal technicalities.
“The time for accountability over large-scale corruption is now. Further delays and the termination of the proceedings will be nothing but a win for impunity,” they noted.
Among the signatories were Bishop Broderick Pabillo, apostolic vicar of Taytay, Palawan; Mother Mary John Mananzan; Prime Bishop of the Episcopal Church Nestor Poltic; United Church of Christ general secretary Bishop Joseph Agpaoa; Bishop Alger Loyao of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente; Movement against Disinformation president Tony La Viña; Concerned Artists of the Philippines chair Bibeth Orteza; former Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo; former Philippine Commission of Women head Emmeline Verzosa; University of the Philippines College of Media and Communication dean Maria Diosa Labiste, and film director Joel Lamangan.
Start process ‘forthwith’
Several of Escudero’s colleagues also rejected his view that the chamber may vote not to convene as an impeachment court, with Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III insisting that their constitutional mandate to conduct Duterte’s impeachment trial was “not optional.”
Even Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, one of Duterte’s ardent political allies, believed that they were duty-bound to serve as senator-judges in the historic impeachment proceedings against the country’s second highest elected official.
“Once the articles of impeachment are transmitted to the Senate, we have to act on that. We cannot disregard it,” Dela Rosa told reporters.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros criticized Escudero’s decision to defer the reading of the articles of impeachment against Duterte, which he had initially set on the resumption of the Senate plenary session on Monday.
“These delays are no longer procedural. They are obstructions dressed up as protocol,” she said.
According to her, it was just appropriate for the Senate to immediately start the proceedings four months after the House of Representatives submitted the impeachment complaint against the Vice President.
“The impeachment process is a crucial means of demanding accountability exclusively entrusted by the people to the Senate. It’s time to follow the rules and start the process ‘forthwith.’ Enough games. Time to move,” she stressed.
Asked if the Senate’s constitutional mandate to hold the impeachment trial could be overturned by a vote of majority of its members, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said: “It should not.”
‘Ridiculous’ delay
Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito also shared the opinion of his colleagues, saying the senators “have to go through the process because that’s our mandate.”
Bayan president Renato Reyes Jr. said the continuing delay, including the reasons for deferring processes, in the impeachment proceedings was already becoming “ridiculous.”
Reyes slammed Escudero’s advice for impeachment complainants to seek the Supreme Court’s intervention if they disagreed with the Senate’s position, saying, “it’s really unfair to place the burden on the complainants at this point. We cannot pass to the complainant a problem created by the Senate.”
He said that when the impeachment complaint was initially transmitted to the Senate on Feb. 5, they said there was no more time for it because of the midterm elections.
“Then it was rescheduled on the last session day, June 11. Then here comes the Senate majority leader saying, ‘oh, there’s no more time. The case is functionally dismissed, we can’t proceed,’” he said in Filipino.
Akbayan party list Rep. Percival Cendaña called out Escudero over the delays and said the Senate should not treat it like a “passing fashion trend.”
“This is not like Paris fashion week. Convening the Senate as an impeachment court is a solemn constitutional duty, not a seasonal accessory you put on or discard depending on the political weather, or one’s personal agenda. It is a uniform of duty worn whenever the Constitution demands it,” he said.
Normal reaction
Responding to the criticisms, Escudero maintained that it was normal for senators to vote on issues being discussed during their plenary deliberations, including matters pertaining to Duterte’s impeachment.
“As I told you [on Monday], plenary is supreme. All decisions are made by the plenary, not just one person, not just one official, not just one member,” the Senate chief said.
When asked if the senators may vote to defy their constitutional mandate, Escudero replied: “No, but it depends on how one would read the Constitution.”
“That’s why we have a Supreme Court to say if what we are doing is [constitutionally] right or wrong,” he said.
However, the Senate president declined to directly answer the question if he was afraid of Duterte.
“That question is a bait,” he said. “We are just doing our job.”
