Senators (from left) Miguel Zubiri, JV Ejercito, Senate President Francis Escudero, Manny Pacquiao, Joel Villanueva and then Senator Sonny Angara exchange ideas during a Senate session on July 25, 2018.聽 (File photo from EDWIN BACASMAS)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senate President Francis 鈥淐hiz鈥� Escudero has offered a bit of unsolicited advice for those who are eager to rush the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte:
Study and do better.
Several sectors, including the House prosecutors, have been prodding the Senate leadership to convene the chamber as an impeachment court and try the case against Duterte even during the Congress break.
鈥淪a mga nagmamadali, ang payo ko na lang siguro鈥檡 mag-aral na lang muna sila siguro at galingan dahil pagka nagsimula ito, baka mamaya, dun sila hihingi ng oras at kung anu-anong arte,鈥� Escudero said in a Radyo 630 interview on Friday.
(For those in a hurry, my advice is that maybe they should study it first and do better because once the impeachment trial starts, they might end up asking for time and making all sorts of excuses.)
鈥淪a haba ng panahon, wala na silang dahilan na hindi maging handa pag nagsimula ang paglilitis,鈥� he added.
(Given the length of time, they have no reason not to be ready when the trial begins.)
Escudero is proposing to start the impeachment trial on July 30, 2025, with the new set of senators sitting as judges.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5 and immediately transmitted the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial.
But Escudero noted that the transmittal to the Senate was made just two hours before the Senate ended its session.
He has repeatedly explained that the Senate can only convene as an impeachment court when Congress is in session.
Other lawmakers, however, argued the Senate could still convene as an impeachment court even during聽 the break, as the Constitution specifically states that the trial 鈥渟hall forthwith proceed.鈥�
Senate Minority Aquilino 鈥淜oko聽 Pimentel even raised the possibility of the upper chamber convening as an impeachment court on its own, without requesting a special session from President Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos.
Escudero disagreed with Pimentel.
鈥淭he court needs to convene in an open session,鈥� the Senate leader stressed during last week鈥檚 press conference in Quezon City.
鈥淭he impeachment complaint needs to be referred in an open session. The senators need to take an oath as judges in an open session,鈥� he pointed out.
(NOTE: The English translations in the article were AI-generated.)