MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Bayan Muna chairperson Neri Colmenares is set to file a position paper before the Senate on Wednesday, calling the upper chamber to immediately convene the impeachment court and expedite the trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.
In an advisory on Tuesday night, Bayan Muna said that Colmenares will submit the document, which highlights the following key points related to the impeachment proceedings:
- the Senate should utilize the already approved and published Rules on Impeachment under the 19th Congress instead of drafting new rules,
- the impeachment should be made an election issue, with all candidates鈥攑articularly senatorial and party list hopefuls鈥攑ublicly declaring their stance on the matter,
- transparency and accountability in public office must be prioritized, and voters should consider candidates鈥� positions on the impeachment as a measure of their commitment to these principles,
- legal and constitutional issues related to the impeachment process must be addressed promptly, with immediate action and adherence to existing rules,
- the President has the authority to call for a special session without Senate permission to proceed with the impeachment trial,
- the Senate President can issue preparatory orders to ensure a smooth and speedy trial, pending the formal convening of the Impeachment Court, and
- the impeachment case is fundamentally about the use of public funds and the accountability of public officials, issues that candidates must address transparently.
Moreover, the group pointed out that there is sufficient time to complete the trial before the 19th Congress adjourns on June 30.
READ: Petition to stop impeachment trial vs VP Duterte filed at Supreme Court
Bayan Muna鈥檚 move came after the camp of Duterte, specifically a group of Mindanao lawyers, earlier filed a petition before the Supreme Court to stop the impeachment complaint against the vice president.
The petition for certiorari and prohibition seeks to issue a temporary restraining order and declare the impeachment complaint null and void.
On February 5, the lower chamber confirmed that 215 lawmakers signed the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte.
However, Senate President Francis Escudero said that holding an impeachment trial 鈥渓egally cannot be done,鈥� as the complaint was not referred to the plenary to establish a basis for convening the impeachment court by the Senate, which had been serving as a legislative body.
Escudero explained that for an impeachment court to be convened, there has to be an ongoing session in the chamber. He noted that this would allow impeachment judges to take oaths.
He said this will happen on June 2 once the session resumes after this year鈥檚 midterm elections.