Tindig Pilipinas blasts ‘cowardly' Senate for impeachment trial delay

GMA Network

2 days ago

The senators are being cowardly in their hesitation to convene as a court for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, a coalition of pro-democracy groups said on Wednesday.
'Ang walang katapusang pagpapaliban sa impeachment ay lantarang senyales na duwag na manindigan at pabaya sa responsibilidad ang karamihan ng ating mga senador. Talo ang lahat dahil dito,' Tindig Pilipinas said in a statement, after Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero said the impeachment trial is up to discretion of the senators via a plenary vote, even though the Constitution provides that the Senate impeachment trial 'should forthwith proceed' once a verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of all the members of the House.
(The endless delay is a clear sign that many of our senators are too cowardly to make a stand and are derelict in their duty. We are all on the losing end here.)
The Tindig Pilipinas coalition, composed of groups including the Akbayan party-list, the ML party-list, the Magdalo party-list, the Buhay ang People Power Campaign Network, and the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, said that Duterte herself also loses in the delay.
'Talo ang akusado na binabawian ng pagkakataong ipagtanggol ang kanyang sarili. Talo ang mga biktima ng katiwalian na binabawian ng pagkakataong makakamit ng hustisya,' it added.
(It is a loss for the accused who is deprived of the opportunity to clear her name, and it is a loss for the victims of corruption who are being denied their shot at justice.)
The House impeached the Vice President on February 5, accusing her of betrayal of public trust; culpable violation of the Constitution; graft and corruption; and other high crimes, mainly over the alleged misuse of around P612.5 million worth of confidential funds, as well as declaring that she had arranged for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., his wife Liza and Speaker Martin Romualdez to be assassinated if she were killed.
'Kung gaanong kalinaw ang mga krimen ng ating bise-presidente, ganitong kalinaw rin ang pagbabalewala ng liderato ng senado sa Konstitusyon, sa pera ng bayan, at sa halaga ng buhay ng bawat Pilipino,' the group said.
(The Senate's leadership of discarding the Constitution, public funds, and the value of every Filipino's life is just as clear as the Vice President's crimes.)
The Filipino people, the group said, deserves to see the evidence against the Vice President, who received her mandate to serve from them.
'Simpleng pagkakataong magpakita ng ebidensya ang hinihiling natin. Sa tingin namin, mapapatunayan ng ebidensya na si Vice President Duterte ay nangurakot, naglustay ng pera ng DepEd sa gitna ng isang krisis sa edukasyon, at nagbaba ng bantang karahasan at pagpatay,' the group said.
(What we are simply asking is for them to let the evidence be presented because once that is done, it will prove that the Vice President is guilty of corruption, that she wasted DepEd's money amid the education crisis, and that she issued violent threats, including killing.)
'Nasa konsensya na lang ng ating mga senador kung tama o mali ang mga ito. Bumabawi ang mamamayang talo. Ang leksyon ng nakaraang halalan ay wala nang pasensya ang botante para sa mga pultikong walang prinsipyo o paninindigan. Kaya ngayon, simple ang panawagan ng Tindig Plipinas sa mga Senador: Simulan na ang pagdinig sa impeachment. Malakas ang ebidensya. Litisin na si Sara [Duterte],'it added.
(It is up to the senators' conscience if these acts are right or wrong. Anyway, the people at the losing end will come back to haunt them. The lesson we learned in the last elections is that voters do not tolerate public officials who don't stand up for anything. So that is why our call is for the Senate to start the trial. The evidence is strong. Put Sara on trial.)
Escudero said on Wednesday that the House cannot dictate on the Senate. He also denied protecting the Vice President. — BM, GMA Integrated News