The Senate’s decision to shelve the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte until Congress resumes session in June is delaying justice, the Buhay ang EDSA People Power Network said Friday.
“The Senate President (Francis Escudero) has a point that the impeachment complaint was filed at the last minute. It was really during the last minute, and we expressed our frustration with the House of Representatives before. [Pero] ang tingin ko, two wrongs don’t make a right,” Kiko Aquino-Dee, grandson of late senator Ninoy and late President Corazon Aquino, said in a press conference.
Aquino-Dee is the executive director of Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF),
“Kung dinelay ng House of Representatives ‘yung [filing] ng impeachment complaint, hindi makakatulong kung magdedelay ‘yung [another chamber of] Congress. Lalong mapapahirapan po tayo kung magdedelay sila,” he added.
(There was a delay in the House and it would not be good for us if a similar delay will happen again.)
While the situation is not ideal, Aquino-Dee said it is not an excuse to delay the impeachment proceedings against the Vice President.
“If the Senate President thinks the situation is not ideal, yes, it is not ideal, pero lalo niyang guguluhin ito kung talagang idedelay ng Senado ‘yung pagdinig sa impeachment complaint na iniakyat ng House of Representatives,” he added.
(The situation will be far more worse than not ideal if the Senate will delay the impeachment trial.)
Escudero said Thursday that Congress needs to be in session for Senate to convene as an impeachment court.
He added it would be unfair for the Senate to be rushed to act when it took the House months to gather enough complainants to endorse the impeachment complaint.
On Wednesday afternoon, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte with 215 lawmakers endorsing the complaint, which was transmitted to the Senate the same day.
Former presidential adviser on the peace process Ging Deles of Tindig Pilipinas said the Constitution does not prohibit the conduct of impeachment trial even if Congress is not in session.
“The Constitution po is forthright with this. Once the impeachment complaint reaches the Senate, the impeachment trial should start,” said Deles, one of the complainants under the initial impeachment complaint filed against the Vice President.
“Hindi sinasabing kung may recess, hihintayin matapos [ang recess]. Hindi sinasabing at your convenience at saka lang gagawin. Ang sabi [ng Constitution], forthwith, gagawin na ito. ‘Yun ho ‘yung pananawagan namin: sundin ang Constitution at ito ang klarong mandato with regard to impeachment,” Deles added, referring to Article 11 of the Constitution.
(The Constitution does not say that the Senate should wait for the recess to be over, that you should just conduct trial when it is convenient. What the Constitution stated is forthwith, the impeachment trial should start. This is our call: follow the Constitution and your mandate with regard to impeachment.)
Volt Bohol of ATOM, for his part, said that the senators should act based on their mandate and defend democratic process, including the impeachment.
“For the senators, this is the time for them to take advantage of the opportunity to show if they are going to stand for democracy or be an enemy of it,” Bohol said.
“Our democracy has been very sick in the last several years. Almost bedridden. Impeachment is one of the things that would probably put our country back on track. This may be your chance, maybe your only chance of being considered in history as someone who really prioritized our country first before oneself or your political parties,” he added.
GMA News Online sought Escudero’s comment on the matter and will publish it once available.
The impeachment complaint alleging betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption and other high crimes on the part of the Vice President is based on the following grounds:
1. Conspiracy to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez
2. Malversation of P612.5 Million in confidential funds with questionable liquidation documents
3. Bribery and corruption in the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s tenure as Education chief by handing out cash to DepEd personnel namely: former DepEd Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil-Mercado (Procurement Head), Bids and Awards Committee Member Resty Osias, DepEd Chief Accountant Rhunna Catalan and Special Disbursing Officer Edward Fajarda
4. Unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets in the Vice President’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth where her wealth increased by four times from 2007 from 2017, among other bank accounts
5. Involvement in extrajudicial killings in Davao city
6. Destabilization, insurrection, and public disorder efforts which include: boycotting the State of the Nation Address (SONA) while declaring herself “designated survivor”, leading rallies calling for President Marcos Jr.’s resignation, obstructing congressional investigations by ordering subordinates not to comply with subpoenas, threatening bodily harm against the President, First Lady, and Speaker Romualdez, among others and
7. The totality of the Vice President’s conduct as the second highest official of the land
The Buhay ang EDSA People Power Network is composed of NCAF, Tindig Pilipinas, August 21 movement (ATOM), Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP), Mamamayang Liberal, among others. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
