Sen. Joel Villanueva (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senator Joel Villanueva said it would be 鈥渂iased鈥� to heed calls for a special Senate session to try the case against Vice President Sara Duterte, if the push came from petitioners behind the effort to impeach her.
This is what Villanueva told reporters in an interview on the sidelines of a Jesus Is Lord prayer event in Pasay City on Saturday.
鈥淗indi maganda na yung nag-file ng impeachment (complaint) ang humihingi nito (referring to a special Senate session) kasi parang biased naman kung yun ang magiging basehan ng mga hurado (referring to senators), magiging basehan ng desisyon kung bakit magkakaroon ng special session,鈥� Villanueva said.
(It鈥檚 not a good look that those who filed the impeachment complaint are the ones asking for a special Senate session because it seems biased if that鈥檇 be the basis of the senator-judges, if that鈥檇 be the basis of the decision for why there鈥檇 be a special session.)
While Villanueva did not name impeachment petitioners, in separate television interviews on Thursday, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said the Senate President can call for a special session to act on the impeachment complaint.
Chua and Castro are both among the 240 lawmaker-signatories of the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte that passed the House and was transmitted to the Senate on Wednesday, just before Congress went on break for the midterm elections.
READ: LIST: Lawmakers who signed the impeachment raps vs VP Duterte
鈥淚 have been saying na hindi ako magre-request (that I would not be requesting) for [a] special session. But if the President is requesting or the majority of our colleagues [want] a special session, I have no problem with it, I鈥檓 willing to comply,鈥� Villanueva said.
For his part, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he would call for a special Senate session if the Senate requested it.
READ: Marcos to call for special Senate session on VP impeachment if requested
When asked what it could take to convince Marcos, Villanueva said, 鈥淪iguro kahit nga hindi majority (of the senators) [but] a significant number of senators who would really push for it kasi mayroon talagang clamor.鈥�
(Maybe not even a majority but a significant number of senators who would really push for it because then there鈥檇 be clamor.)
Despite the Senate going into adjournment without acting on the impeachment complaint on Wednesday, Villanueva said the chamber was ready to convene into an impeachment court.
鈥淎ng importante dito, klaro na klaro na tayo ay tutuloy sa impeachment trial. Klarong-klaro na mayroon nang impeachment complaint,鈥� Villanueva said.
(What鈥檚 important here is that it鈥檚 very clear that there鈥檇 be an impeachment trial. It鈥檚 very clear that there is an impeachment complaint.)
鈥淜larong-klaro din na ready ang mga senador na gampanan yung kanilang tungkulin, hindi lang yung legislation per se kundi tumayo bilang jury sa isang impeachment court,鈥� he added.
(And it鈥檚 also very clear that the senators are ready to fulfill their duties, not only with legislation per se but also to stand as the jury in an impeachment court.)