
78% of Pinoys want VP Sara Duterte to face impeachment trial —OCTA survey
Majority of Filipinos believe Vice President Sara Duterte should face a Senate trial or impeachment court, according to survey results released Monday.
Based on OCTA Research's Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey, 78% of Pinoys want Duterte to face a Senate trial or impeachment court to respond to the charges and formally clear her name.
Only 13% disagreed while 9% said they did not know the answer or have no answer.
'These findings reflect strong public support for accountability and due process in addressing the allegations against the Vice President,' OCTA said.
The non-commissioned survey was conducted from April 20 to 24 through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 male and female respondents aged 18 and above.
According to OCTA, the survey has a margin of error of ±3 % at a 95% confidence level. "Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have the following margins of error at a 95% confidence level: ±6% for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao," OCTA said.
The House 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.
On February 25, Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero said the processes related to Duterte's impeachment trial would start on June 2.
However, Escudero on May 29 said the presentation of the Articles of Impeachment before the Senate was moved to June 11 to prioritize the passage of the items in the administration's legislative agenda before the end of 19th Congress.
Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa recently said that he and other senators are working on their drafts of a Senate resolution seeking to dismiss the impeachment case against Duterte.
Duterte was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
The Vice President has denied the allegations. —KG, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
an hour ago
- GMA Network
Senate has no power to remand VP Sara impeach rap —House prosecution team member
House prosecution team member San Juan City Representative Ysabel Maria "Bel" Zamora on Wednesday questioned the action of the Senate remanding the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte back to the lower chamber. Zamora pointed out that the Senate has no such power. 'Siyempre kami, nanonood buong gabi ay nagulat, na-shock ulit sa ginawang aksyon ng ating senators. Kasi for us, remanding the Articles of Impeachment back to Congress is beyond the powers of the Senate. Wala po silang kapangyarihan na gawin ang pag-remand na 'yan,' she told Dobol B TV in an interview. (Of course, we, who were watching all night, were surprised, shocked again by the action taken by our senators. For us, remanding the Articles of Impeachment back to Congress is beyond the powers of the Senate. They do not have the power to do that.) Zamora added that the job of the Senate as an impeachment court is to try and decide on the impeachment case and not to conduct a review. 'Remanding it or returning it to Congress is an act of review of the Senate. Hindi nga po ito trabaho ng Senado as an impeachment court dahil ang trabaho nila as impeachment court is to try and decide the case,' Zamora said. (Remanding it or returning it to Congress is an act of review of the Senate. It is not the job of the Senate as an impeachment court because their job as an impeachment court is to try and decide the case.) 'So hindi po dapat binabalik ng Senado ang Articles of Impeachment. Several lawyers, legal luminaries, professors have already stated their opinion on that matter even last night,' she added. (So the Senate should not return the Articles of Impeachment. Several lawyers, legal luminaries, professors have already stated their opinion on that matter even last night.) On Tuesday evening, the Senate as an impeachment court voted to return to the House of Representatives the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte without dismissing or terminating them. The motion was approved with 18 affirmative, five negative votes, and zero abstentions. After hours of debate, Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano moved to amend Senator Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa's motion–which was initially to dismiss the case–and instead made the motion that the Articles of Impeachment be returned to the House until such time that: The House of Representatives certify to the non violation of Article XI, Section 3, paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which provides that 'No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within one year; include the circumstances on the filing of the first three impeachment complaints"; and The House of Representatives of the 20th Congress communicates to the Senate that it is willing and ready to pursue the impeachment complaint against the Vice President. However, Zamora said that the House did not violate the one-year bar rule of impeachment, an issue that the lower chamber already addressed when they filed the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte. 'Noon pa natin sinasagot 'yan, umpisa pa lang nang nag-file tayo ng Articles of Impeachment. Concern 'yan ng ibang tao, ng kabilang panig. Pero sabi na natin na wala po tayong nilabag sa Kongreso na batas or even the rules of the Congress. I think they were referring to the first three impeachment complaints' she said. (We've been answering that since the beginning, when we filed the Articles of Impeachment. That's a concern for other people, for the other camp. But we've already said that we haven't violated any law or even the rules of Congress. I think they were referring to the first three impeachment complaints.) She noted that only the fourth impeachment complaint received one-third of the House membership votes. 'Ang sabi natin diyan, yes, there were three impeachment complaints but these were consolidated into the fourth impeachment complaint and 'yung fourth po ang nakakuha ng one-third of the House membership na boto,' Zamora said. (What we're saying is, yes, there were three impeachment complaints but these were consolidated into the fourth impeachment complaint and the fourth one got one-third of the House membership votes.) 'So 'yung mga nauna, ito po ay pinagsama-sama to form the fourth impeachment complaint at ito po 'yung pinasa sa Senado. And it was acted within the period na nakasaad na 10 session days,' she added. (So the previous ones were combined to form the fourth impeachment complaint and this is what was passed to the Senate. And it was acted within the period stated as 10 session days.) Zamora said that the mere fact that the Articles of Impeachment were sent to the Senate is 'a certification that we complied with the rules of the House." Regarding the willingness of the House to pursue the impeachment complaint to the 20th Congress, Zamora said the consensus among their lawmakers is to continue the impeachment trial. 'Ang consensus po ay tuloy-tuloy lang talaga ang paglilitis dito sa ating impeachment, dito sa Articles natin. Wala pong question sa prosecutors or even sa mga congressmen kung tutuloy ito sa 20th Congress,' she said. (The consensus is that the trial will continue in our impeachment, in our articles. There is no question among prosecutors or even among congressmen whether this will continue in the 20th Congress.) 'In fact wala din po sa maski anong batas natin, maski sa Saligang Batas natin na bawal tumuloy ito sa 20th Congress,' she added. (In fact, there is nothing in any of our laws, not even in our Constitution, that forbids this from continuing in the 20th Congress.) Following the 'shocking' action of the Senate, Zamora said the prosecutors will proceed with their scheduled meeting on Wednesday morning to discuss their possible next steps. Duterte was impeached by the House on February 5 with more than 200 congressmen endorsing the verified complaint against her The vice president was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. Duterte has denied the allegations. —KG, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
9 hours ago
- GMA Network
Bato says Senate action showed impeachment rap ‘infirm'; Koko disappointed
The approved motion to return the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives, even without dismissing or terminating them, is a victory, Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa said Tuesday. 'Yes, the mere fact that the court approved the returning of articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives is a manifestation that they agree to my previous speech that the impeachment court is constitutionally infirm,' Dela Rosa told reporters. The Senate had convened as an impeachment court earlier in the day, after the senators were sworn in as senator-judges and a day after Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero took his oath as the trial's presiding officer. Duterte was impeached by the House in February, after 215 and eventually 240 House members signed a fourth impeachment complaint against her. Dela Rosa, a very close ally of the Duterte family, has moved to dismiss the impeachment complaint, saying that the House violated Article XI, Section 2, paragraph 5 of the Constitution which states, "No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year," with four separate impeachment complaints filed against Duterte. Another ally of the Dutertes, Senator Imee Marcos, said that the impeachment of the Vice President does not aim for accountability but early disqualification. 'Ang uuwian [ng impeachment] ay disqualification. Tanggal sa opisina lang yun. Magpakatotoo tayo parang ito ay glorified, early disqualification. Seryosohin naman natin ang impeachment. Wag nating paglaruan ang saligang batas,' Marcos said in an ambush interview. (The impeachment will lead to disqualification and removal from office. Let's be real, this is like a glorified early disqualification. Let's take the impeachment seriously.) The senator also said that if the Vice President needs accountability, she can face the multiple charges filed against her by the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine National Police, and the Department of Justice, among others. Marcos reiterated her position in questioning the validity of the impeachment complaint. 'Mas maigi isaayos na muna nila. Wala namang pagbabawal na magpila ulit ng impeachment complaint [It's better that they iron it out first. No one's saying they can't file another impeachment complaint],' she said. Disappointed On the other hand, Senator Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III expressed disappointment with tonight's outcome. 'Ako'y nalulungkot; may saving grace na lang tayo na may pinadala na summons [I'm disappointed, but we have a saving grace that a summons was issued],' he said, referring to the court's issuing a summons to Duterte, directing her to file her answers within 10 days. He also noted that there is no concept of "return to sender" in legal proceedings, after the majority of senators moved to "remand" the impeachment complaint back to the House. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, while he voted against returning the complaint, said he respects the decision of the majority. 'But if you ask me, maganda sana na pag-uusapan yan during the trial proper kasi yun transparent at fair sa lahat. Hindi naman ibig sabihin kung pinakinggan na ito sa trial proper, matutuloy siya. Pwede rin siya ma-dismiss,' Gatchalian said. (If you ask me, it would be good to discuss it during the trial proper because it would be transparent and fair to all. It does not mean that if you address it during the trial proper that the trial would continue. It could be dismissed.) 'Pero at least doon na natin napag-usapan. And yun yung proper procedure. Mag-convene na, magkaroon ng trial at ilalabas. Ako naniniwala ilalabas rin ng defense yan. So sana doon na pag-usapan,' he added. (But at least we could discuss it there. And that is the proper procedure. To convene, to have a trial, and present it. And I believe the defense would do so. So it should be discussed there.) With the motion to return the article of impeachment approved, there would be no more reading of the articles of impeachment by House prosecutors on Wednesday. — BM, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
10 hours ago
- GMA Network
Gatchalian: Expect decision of House in 20th Congress on VP Sara's impeachment by mid-July
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday evening said the House of Representatives of the 20th Congress is expected to decide on whether to continue the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte by mid-July. 'They (House of Representatives) will only communicate when the 20th Congress assumes, which is June 30, kasi yun ang palitan. So they have to communicate. But of course, ang House may sarili silang dynamics. Di ba wala pang Speaker at that time. Nagbubuo pa lang sila doon,' Gatchalian said. (The House of Representatives will only communicate when the 20th Congress assumes, which is June 30, kasi yun ang palitan. So they have to communicate. But the House has its own dynamics. They have no Speaker at that time.) 'Realistically, siguro makakapagpadala sila ng letter dito siguro pag buo na sila siguro mid-July (Realistically, they would send the letter once they are complete by mid-July),' he added. Earlier today, the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, voted to return to the House of Representatives the articles of impeachment against Duterte without dismissing or terminating them. This came after Senator Ronald dela Rosa moved that the impeachment court dismiss the case against Sara Duterte. He said the House of Representatives violated the one-year ban indicated in Article XI, Section 2, paragraph 5 of the Constitution. However, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano moved to amend Dela Rosa's motion that the articles of impeachment be returned to the House of Representatives without dismissing or terminating the case until such time that: The House of Representatives certify to the non violation of Article XI, Section 3, paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which provides that 'No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year; include the circumstances on the filing of the first three impeachment complaints; and The House of Representatives of the 20th Congress communicates to the Senate that it is willing and ready to pursue the impeachment complaint against the Vice President. With the motion approved, there would be no more presentation of prosecution on Wednesday. Still, Escudero, as the presiding officer of the impeachment court, issued a writ of summons to Sara Duterte, directing the Vice President to file her answers within 10 days. — BAP, GMA Integrated News