Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero Reacts On Calls To Start Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s Impeachment Trial Now
CHIZ ESCUDERO – The Senate President insisted that no amount of signatures will convince him to convene the impeachment court during recess.
Senate Pres. Escudero has released the proposed timeline for the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Based on the proposed schedule, it is set to start on July 30. However, the Senate Chief also clarified that the timeline still needs the nod of the lawmakers — it is “not set on stone”.
Two-thirds of the lawmakers in the House of Representatives approved the impeachment of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. It is now up to the Senate to begin an impeachment trial. However, according to the Senate President, they received the complaint in the afternoon of the last day of the session already and there was no prior notice.
Escudero turned down urgency on holding an impeachment trial. He also stressed that the upper chamber has an approved legislative calendar. Meanwhile, he assured the public that his office is reviewing the rules for impeachment amid the session break and they are drafting amendments.
Senator Koko Pimentel believes that there is nothing that stops the Senate from acting on the Articles of Impeachment and as an impeachment court. His ground is supported by Sen. Grace Poe who hoped for an all-senator caucus to discuss the matter prior to the release of a proposed timeline.
Amid the calls from different individuals to start the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte right away, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero maintain not to convene an impeachment court while the Congress is on recess. Recently, he reacted to the People’s Impeachment Movement (PIM) seeking to collect at least one (1) million signatures to show the public’s call for the trial to start.
Various religious groups and sectoral representatives built the PIM. The collection of signatures is set until Pentecost Sunday (June 8).
However, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero stressed that the amount of signatures gathered won’t force him to abide the call to start the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Based on a report on GMA News, he stressed that it is a violation of the Constitution.
“No amount of signatures will amend the law nor convince me to violate it by convening the impeachment court during recess and without complying with the requisite conditions precedent,” the Senate Leader said.
Escudero stressed that “the law is not bendable and should not bow to anyone’s dictate simply because of their own desire, bias and timetable. Amid the calls for the senators perceived to be pro-Duterte to inhibit themselves from acting as senator-judges in the trial, Sen. Bato dela Rosa revealed his side on the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.