Luistro disagrees with Escudero: Electorate wants impeach trial to start
Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Atty. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro
MANILA, Philippines — Saying there are a lot of calls from the electorate, Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro on Friday rejected Senate President Francis Escudero’s remarks that there appears no widespread clamor to begin the upper chamber’s trial of impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte at once.
Escudero on Wednesday said he doesn’t think that three position papers and a Supreme Court case constitute a “clamor” for the Senate to begin its trial “forthwith” or before the congressional session on June 2.
READ: What ‘clamor’? Escudero asks amid calls to start trial ‘forthwith’
“With all due respect to the Senate President, we were at the ground. The House members are on the ground. I myself, and even the other congressmen, can attest that a lot of people in our districts are waiting for the Senate to convene as an impeachment court,” Luistro said in a TV interview.
“At the end of the day, we always recognize the authority of the impeachment court. And of course, that is the Senate of the Philippines—specifically, the 23 senators. With all due respect to our Senate President, we have a different opinion on the matter,” she continued.
Article continues after this advertisementThe House of Representatives impeached Duterte as 215 House members voted in favor of it. If found guilty in a Senate impeachment trial, Duterte may be permanently barred from holding public office.
Article continues after this advertisementThe Articles of Impeachment has then been transmitted to the Senate for trial.
Meanwhile, Luistro also addressed allegations that the House lawmakers deliberately delayed the transmission of the Articles of Impeachment in the Senate.
Luistro said: “We did not delay. We have to understand that Congress is a collegial body. I cannot decide alone. The Good Government Committee cannot decide alone. This is a collegial body that needs a collegial decision.”
“There are 306 members in the House. As a general rule, we need the majority. And for the purpose of the impeachment case, we need at least one-third,” she added.
The votes of two-thirds of the 23 senators are needed to convict and oust Duterte.
“We did our duty. We followed the rules. We upheld the Constitution. Now, it is time for the Senate to do theirs,” Luistro said.
