logo
Senate minority to push for VP Sara Duterte's impeachment trial's opening rites

Senate minority to push for VP Sara Duterte's impeachment trial's opening rites

GMA Networka day ago

Senator Risa Hontiveros announced Monday that the Senate's minority bloc will formally move during the plenary session this afternoon to start the opening rites in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
At a press conference, Hontiveros said that she and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino 'Koko' Pimentel III will move to allow Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero to take his oath as the presiding officer of the impeachment court, and to administer the prescribed oath to all members of the Senate as judges of the impeachment court.
She said the minority bloc will also move for the Senate to convene as an impeachment court, and for the Articles of Impeachment to be formally presented to the body.
'Wala pa tayo sa trial proper. Opening rites pa lamang. Panunumpa at pormalidad. Hindi ito aabutin ng isang oras. So let's not pretend an hour is too much to ask,' Hontiveros said.
(We are not yet in the trial proper. It's only the opening rites, just oath and formality. This will not take an hour. So let's not pretend an hour is too much to ask.)
'We have three full days of session left, which can last up to near midnight as they have in recent days. We may only have three days, but three days is not nothing,' she added.
Hontiveros further stressed that the minority will not allow the Senate to ignore the 1987 Constitution with regard to the conduct of the impeachment trial, citing calls from law schools and universities, religious groups, and framers of the 1987 Constitution.
'The Senate must not be heedless and callous to the growing calls for the institution to fulfill its mandate and begin the impeachment trial,' she said.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint.
On the same day, the Articles of Impeachment were transmitted to the Senate but the upper chamber adjourned without addressing the case.
The reading of impeachment raps against Duterte was rescheduled on June 11, as the Senate seeks to prioritize the passage of the items in the administration's legislative agenda before the 19th Congress adjourns sine die on June 14.
Duterte was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. She has denied the allegations. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

House prosecutor: Compressing impeachment trial would deny due process
House prosecutor: Compressing impeachment trial would deny due process

GMA Network

timean hour ago

  • GMA Network

House prosecutor: Compressing impeachment trial would deny due process

"Yung away ng magkapitbahay, hindi yan nare-resolve sa Katarungang Pambarangay in one day," San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora said of the proposal to compress the impeachment trial into a period of less than three weeks. House impeachment prosecutor and San Juan City Representative Ysabel Maria Zamora on Tuesday said that the proposal to compress the timeline of the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte would deny both sides due process—and advised Senator Robin Padilla to review the Constitution after he filed a resolution to dismiss the impeachment complaint outright. 'Senator Padilla has to maybe review the Constitution. Maybe some of his advisors should advise him on constitutional law and that you cannot kill an impeachment by mere resolution,' Zamora told reporters in an interview. Zamora also opposed Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino's resolution for a compressed impeachment trial timeline of 19 days. 'Well, for me, that compressed timeline is unacceptable. Not acceptable for the simple reason that it will deny due process to both sides,' she said. The Senate on Tuesday finally convened as an impeachment court to put Duterte on trial over seven articles of impeachment, including the question of how P612.5 million in confidential funds was spent. Zamora said two days each is not enough for the House prosecution panel and the defense to present all of their evidence. 'This is both on a procedural side and on the substantive side of due process. Ang naisip ko nga po, yung away ng magkapitbahay, hindi yan nare-resolve sa Katarungang Pambarangay in one day [A dispute among neighbors cannot be resolved by the barangay justice system in one day]. What more an impeachment case against the Vice President where we have numerous voluminous documents or evidence to present. So we have to give both parties their right to due process,' she said. She also revealed that for five hours on Monday, the House prosecution panel practiced the reading of the Articles of Impeachment by House prosecutor and Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro and responding to possible questions that will be raised by the senators. About 15 private prosecutors joined the House prosecutors during the rehearsal, she added. Meanwhile House spokesperson Princess Abante said the House welcomed Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero's taking his oath as the impeachment court's presiding officer on Monday evening. "Ginalaw na po ang baso [They have made their presence felt]," she said. 'The House of Representatives welcomes this development… Nakinig na po ang Senado sa mga pahayag, hindi lang ng Kamara, kundi ng iba't ibang sektor ng lipunan [The Senate has listened to the calls, not just by the Congress, but by different sectors of society].' On Padilla's resolution to dismiss the impeachment complaint, Abante said, 'The Speaker has always said that he leaves it to the discretion of the Senate on how they will act on the impeachment trial. But there are various experts, both from the academe and the legal sectors, that state [that] the senator-judges cannot move to dismiss the trial on their own.' 'Ang hiling lang po natin, maging faithful sila sa alituntinin ng Konstitusyon [Our only request is that they remain faithful to the rules of the Constitution]. Because in a society that follows the rule of law, the Constitution will always be supreme,' Abante added. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos has also said that it is clear the impeachment proceedings will cross over from the current 19th Congress to the 20th Congress. 'Naging senator-judge din si President Bongbong Marcos. I understand where he's coming from. Ang importante sa Kamara ngayon, masimulan ang impeachment trial [President Marcos has been a senator-judge important is that the impeachment trial begin],' Abante said. 'Ang nakalagay naman sa Konstitusyon ay to try and decide. Hindi naman sinabi roon kung anong Congress ang magde-decide. Ang sinasabi ay simulan at tapusin at magbigay ng desisyon ang Senado,' she explained. (What it says in the Constitution is to try and decide. It does not say which Congress will decide. What it says is to begin the trial, end the trial, and hand down the Senate's decision.) Abante also said Vice President Duterte's present personal trip abroad will not derail the proceedings. 'I believe the impeachment rules have, meron naman siyang nakalagay kung paano ang pag-serve at notify sa accused. Ang requirement kasi diyan is personal service pero meron din naman sa rules if personal service cannot be made. Ang importante, simulan na ng Senado ang trial para alam na rin natin kung ano na yung mga susunod na hakbang ng prosecutors at ano na ang mangyayari sa impeachment process,' Abante stressed. (I believe the impeachment rules have a provision on how the accused may be notified. the requirement is personal service but there are also rules for when personal service cannot be made. What's important is that the Senate being the trial so that we the prosecutors will know the next steps to take and what will happen in the impeachment process.) Abante declined to comment on the Duterte defense team's allegations that the impeachment complaint is flawed, saying this is already the subject of the Vice President's petition before the Supreme Court challenging the House impeachment. Abante also defended the House of Representatives from Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero's pronouncements that the House also dilly-dallied on the impeachment complaints. 'I believe the House of Representatives did its job in a timely and decisive manner. Again, [the role of the] House of Representatives is to receive the complaint, to verify the complaint as to its form, substance and grounds, to make sure that it will be properly passed by the correct number of members of the House of Representatives, and it will be transmitted to the Senate. All these were done by the House of Representatives in a timely and decisive manner. Kung gaano katagal o kung gaano kabilis, hindi na yan kasama sa kailangang alalahanin ng Senado. Ang kailangang alalahanin ng Senado ay ang kanilang tungkulin sa impeachment process ayon sa Konstitusyon. Sabi ng Konstitusyon, proceed forthwith,' Abante said. (However long or quickly it took, it's not part of what the Senate must remember, and that is it is their duty according to the Constitution to proceed with the trial forthwith.) Asked for her reaction to Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's claim that the country will be further divided by an impeachment trial, Abante replied, 'Well, ang impeachment trial, provided 'to ng Constitution. Merong mga dahilan para pagdaanan ito. Kung siguro unnecessary ang mga impeachment proceedings in all governments, dapat wala ito sa Constitution, di ba? So ako, tingin ko, kailangan munang masimulan at ang ating mga Senator-judges, makinig doon sa paglahad ng mga ebidensya and they will have the opportunity to decide on the case.' (An impeachment trial is provided for in the Constitution. There are reasons why it must be undertaken. If impeachment proceedings are unnecessary, than it wouldn't be in the Constitution, right? So, as I see it, the trial must first begin and the senator-judges must listen to the evidence as it is laid out and they will have the opportunity to decide on the case.) — BM, GMA Integrated News

PH's oldest business group adds pressure for VP's impeachment trial to begin
PH's oldest business group adds pressure for VP's impeachment trial to begin

GMA Network

time3 hours ago

  • GMA Network

PH's oldest business group adds pressure for VP's impeachment trial to begin

The Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (CCPI), the country's oldest business institution, has joined the call for Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial to begin, adding to the mounting pressure for the Senate to immediately proceed with its Constitutional duty. In a statement, the CCPI, founded in 1886, said it calls on the Senate 'to perform their Constitutional and moral duty to immediately commence the Impeachment Trial of Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio and its continuation into the 20th Congress until acquittal or conviction, as called for by the esteemed professors of the UP College of Law and of the Ateneo de Manila.' Last week, several educational institutions including the Ateneo schools, the Lasallian Family, the University of the Philippines, and the University of Santo Tomas called for the Senate to begin the trial. 'The Constitution is very clear: in case a resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of the Members of the House…..trial by the Senate shall FORTHWITH proceed,' CCPI said. The business group emphasized that the word 'forthwith,' in any dictionary, means "immediately" or 'without delay." 'The Constitution does not recognize changes in the membership of the Senate, nor does it recognize recess or breaks, because the Senate no longer acts as a Legislative Senate per se, but as an Impeachment Court having acquired automatic jurisdiction over the Impeachment case per the Constitution,' CCPI said. 'We are a country that is governed by the 'Rule of Law,' not of Men. The Senate Impeachment Court should also not deny the right of the Vice President to due process,' it said. The country's oldest trade group said not following the Constitution would create an environment of instability, which impacts negatively on the business community, locally and internationally.' 'We pray that the Members of the Senate will properly and duly perform their Official Duties as mandated by the Constitution,' CCPI said. After the start of the impeachment trial was delayed for some weeks, the Senate on Tuesday finally convened as an impeachment court. — BM, GMA Integrated News

House remains united amid calls for new leadership, says spox
House remains united amid calls for new leadership, says spox

GMA Network

time6 hours ago

  • GMA Network

House remains united amid calls for new leadership, says spox

The House of Representatives remains united under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez amid the call of Deputy Speaker and Cebu 5th district Rep. Vincent Franco 'Duke' Frasco for a new leadership. In a press conference, House spokesperson Princess Abante said they respect Frasco's statement, adding that it proves that no one is forcing anyone in the Lower Chamber. 'Iu-underline ko din na there are now at least 280 members of the HOR that showed their support for the continued leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez. When we talk of unity, nakita naman natin 'yung epekto ng united na members of the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez doon sa accomplishments na nakita natin ngayon sa Kongreso,' she said. (There are now at least 280 members of the HOR that showed their support for the continued leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez. When we talk of unity, we can see the effect of the united members of the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez in the accomplishments of the Congress.) Frasco was expelled from the National Unity Party for refusing to support Romualdez in the 20th Congress. He said the House is in need of a leadership 'that unites rather than divides.' Abante said it is clear that Romualdez was able to steer the House in the right direction. 'Most productive' "For the 19th Congress, under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez, I am happy to report that the House of Representatives is now one of the most productive Congress in history," said Abante. She said 11,506 bills and 2,361 resolutions were filed in the House during the 19th Congress. Of the number, 347 resolutions were adopted while 1,493 measures were approved on third and final reading, of which 280 were signed into law. 'Unfortunately, 739 are still pending before the Senate for their approval on 3rd reading. These are not ordinary bills. They are urgent reforms sought by sectors across the country, and they are solutions to the most pressing challenges faced by Filipino families, workers, students, seniors, and OFWs. These are key life-changing bills the Senate has yet to act on,' she said. Abante said the House is ready to prepare and ratify all pending measures at the bicameral conference committee. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/AOL, GMA Integrated News

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store