Escudero violates constitutional mandate on impeachment 鈥� 1Sambayan聽
Senate President Francis Escudero. Photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s decision to adjourn the chamber’s session with two days left in its legislative calendar violates his Constitutional mandate to act on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte “forthwith” or “immediately,” according to coalition 1Sambayan.
The Senate’s session ended on February 5, but 1Sambayan convenor and law professor Howard Calleja said the session was supposed to end on February 7 as stated in a Senate resolution.
“The secretary general of the House was made to wait for about an hour before being allowed to turn over the Articles of Impeachment. Roughly an hour later, at around 7 p.m., the Senate adjourned,” Calleja said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
“We have to look at the culpability of Mr. Escudero for this constitutional breach … Instead of immediately taking up the complaint, Escudero immediately adjourned the Senate,” he added.
Calleja also pointed out that only Duterte benefited from Escudero’s “premature adjournment.”
Article continues after this advertisement“We have questions: Why that unconstitutional rush? Who benefited from [Escudero’s] premature adjournment? Definitely, Sara because there would be a lot of legal questions that could potentially kill the impeachment complaint under the 20th Congress,” he said.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: No impeachment trial vs VP Duterte during break of Congress – Escudero
“Nabudol tayo ni Chiz (Chiz fooled us). Just when we are talking of billions of pesos being lost to alleged corruption, just when Sara threatened to have the President and the First Lady killed which would have created unimaginable national instability, here he is trying to foist on us a scenario calculated to kill the impeachment of Sara Duterte. Chiz would not do this without benefiting himself,” he added.
Calleja also pointed out that the word “forthwith” in the Constitutional provision on the Senate’s duty to act on impeachment complaints, has a simple meaning.
“My question to Chiz is: you are a lawyer and forthwith is a simple English term. Who are you loyal to?” he asked the Senate chief.
黑料社 sought Escudero’s office for a comment but it has yet to reply as of posting time.
On February 5, the House of Representatives confirmed that 215 lawmakers signed the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte. It was almost 3 p.m. when the lower chamber impeached Duterte.
Senate Secretary Renato Bantug received the document at 5:49 p.m., but it was not reported to the plenary before it adjourned shortly before 7 p.m.
