Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero Speaks on Impeachment Proceedings of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte
CHIZ ESCUDERO – The Senate President announced that the impeachment proceedings concerning Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will be postponed.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives last February 5. The Vice President is facing several issues including the controversial spending of the Confidential Funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) as well as the Department of Education’s when she was still the DepEd secretary.
Previously, it was set that the impeachment court will convene in June 3 while Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is in the Hague to visit former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. Prior to it, on June 2, the upper chamber has set the presentation of the articles of impeachment by the House of Representatives prosecution panel.
Duterte previously claimed that she is ready whether she will be acquitted or found guilty in her impeachment trial. Despite her lawyers’ confidence that they will win the impeachment trial, the Vice President said she is “at peace” regardless of the outcome of the trial.
However, based on a report on GMA News, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero announced that the impeachment proceedings of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will be postponed. From June 2, the reading of the articles of impeachment by the prosecution panel from the House will be moved to June 11.
According to Escudero, the 19th Congress will adjourn sine die on June 14 and the House and the Senate have to prioritize the passage of the items in the legislative agenda. He stressed that it is in line with the pursuit of Pres. Bongbong Marcos to align the government to what the people expects.
“With only six (6) session days before the sine die adjournment, it is imperative for the Senate and the House of Representatives to prioritize the passage of these measures, consistent also with the administration’s thrust to align our government with the people’s needs and expectations,” the Senate President said.
Based on the report, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero also stressed that the bicameral Commission on Appointments still have to review the appointments of more than 200 presidential appointees. With regards to the measures that should be passed as listed in the legislative agenda of the Marcos admin, here are they:
- Amendments to the Foreign Investors’ Long-Term Lease Act
- E-Governance Act
- Open Access in Data Transmission (Konektadong Pinoy)
- Rationalization of the Mining Fiscal Regime
- Amendments to the Universal Health Care Act
- Virology Institute of the Philippines
- Government Optimization Act
- Amendments to the Right-of-Way Act
- Setting the Term of Office of Barangay Officials and Members of the Sanggunian Kabataan (SK)
- Judicial Fiscal Autonomy
- Denatured Alcohol Tax
- Anti-POGO Act
Based on the report, the Senate Chief also mentioned the appointments of four (4) officials of constitutional commissions, three (3) Cabinet secretaries, 39 foreign service officials, and 277 officials from the Armed Forces of the Philippines which the CA has to review.
Amid the calls of Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero for the senators to refrain from giving their stand on the upcoming impeachment trial, reelected Sen. Bato dela Rosa expressed his confidence that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will be acquitted.