Sen. Risa Hontiveros Issues Statement on VP Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial
HONTIVEROS – The Senator revealed the plan of the Senate Minority to formally request the opening of the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte today.
The impeachment process against Vice Pres. Duterte was initially scheduled to open last June 2 but it was moved by Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero to June 11. Such action elicited different reactions from the Filipinos including his fellow senators in the upper chamber.
Currently, several civil society groups are set to conduct a 3-day protest at the Senate for the immediate start of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial. Several universities and religious groups also joined the call to commence the impeachment process against Duterte.
Escudero previously claimed that the Senate and the House of Representatives will prioritize their legislative duties. According to him, there are still several key measures that have to be passed before the 19th Congress adjourns. He also claimed that there are still over 200 presidential appointments that the Commission on Appointments must review.
Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero claimed that no camp was favored in the decision to delay the start of the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. According to him, regardless of the date, the farthest that the upper chamber can do is the issuance of the summons against Duterte. He stressed that after it, the Vice President will be given 10 days to respond.
Recently, amid the calls to immediately start the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros bared the plan of the Senate Minority to formally request the commencement of the process today. Based on a post on ABS-CBN News, the Senator stressed that she will not allow that the Senate would be the first to violate the Constitution.
“We in the Senate Minority will formally move to commence the opening rites in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III and I will move to allow Senate President Francis Escudero to take his oath as the presiding officer of the impeachment court, and to administer the prescribed oath to all members of the Senate as judges of the impeachment court,” she said in a statement.
Based on the post, Sen. Risa Hontiveros also said they will also move for the Senate to convene as an impeachment court. She clarified that it is not yet the trial proper but she believes that the opening rites will not take much time.
“So let’s not pretend an hour is too much to ask… We may only have three days, but three days is not nothing,” she said.
Previously, amid the calls to start the impeachment process, reelected Sen. Bato dela Rosa confirmed that he will push for the dropping of the impeachment trial against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.