Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero Explains Chamber’s Move To Return Articles of Impeachment vs. Duterte To Hous
CHIZ ESCUDERO – The Senate President spoke on the 18-5 voting of the senators to return the articles of impeachment to the House.
Following the move to reschedule the reading of the articles of impeachment which was initially set last June 2 to June 11, the Senate Minority took a move calling for the start of the impeachment trial against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Following the move, on Monday, Senate Pres. Escudero took his oath as the presiding officer of the impeachment court in Duterte’s trial.
The Senate also adopted the motion of Sen. Joel Villanueva that the rest of the senators should also take their oath as senator-judges of the impeachment court in the trial. On Tuesday, the senators wore their robes as they took their oath as senator judges. However, three (3) senators namely Robin Padilla, Imee Marcos, and Cynthia Villar did not wear their robes.
Following the oath of the senators, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano filed a motion to return the articles of impeachment against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives. Eighteen (18) senators including Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero voted in favor of the said motion. Only five (5) senators went against it.
Recently, following the 18-5 voting that will return the articles of impeachment against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte to the House, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero made it clear that the move does not mean dismissal of the case against the Vice President. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, he stressed that it is only to give prosecutors the chance to answer to some questions while the case has yet to be decided on.
“Walang intention na idismiss ang kasong ito. Ang intention ay mabigyan ng pagkakataon na ang mga prosecutors ay sumagot sa mga ilang itinuturing na mga katarungan nang hindi inaaksaya ang panahon ng Korte at nang hindi pa hinuhusgahan ang bagay na ito,” the Senate President said.
Based on the report, Escudero recognized that the decision might have triggered doubts among some individuals inside and outside of the chamber. He clarified that the voting was not about the one-year ban with regards to the filing of impeachment nor a judgment that the 20th Congress is allegedly not in favor of it.
“Again, with the issuances of the summons in a few minutes from now, I think it would be made clear, that there is no such intention and that there is every intention by this impeachment court to comply with the rules,” he expressed.
Here are the 18 senators who voted to return the articles of impeachment against Duterte to the House:
- Alan Peter Cayetano
- Pia Cayetano
- Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa
- JV Ejercito
- Chiz Escudero
- Jinggoy Estrada
- Bong Go
- Lito Lapid
- Loren Legarda
- Imee Marcos
- Robin Padilla
- Bong Revilla
- Francis Tolentino
- Raffy Tulfo
- Joel Villanueva
- Cynthia Villar
- Mark Villar
- Juan Miguel Zubiri
Senators Risa Hontiveros, Koko Pimentel, Sherwin Gatchalian, Grace Poe, and Nancy Binay voted against the motion of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. Previously, amid the issues, Pres. Bongbong Marcos claimed that it is clear that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial will cross the 20th Congress.