Latest news with #19thCongress
GMA Network
13 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Imee: Just accept that VP Sara impeachment has already failed
Reelected Senator Imee Marcos said that the bid to remove Vice President Sara Duterte via impeachment has already failed, amid the postponement of proceedings in the Senate. The reading at the Senate of the articles of impeachment by the House of Representatives prosecution panel against Duterte was initially scheduled for June 2, but was moved to June 11 with the 19th Congress set to adjourn sine die on June 14, with Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero citing the need to prioritize the passage of items in the administration's legislative agenda. 'Para sa akin, 'yan ang importante, makatulong sa tao at tigilan na ang pangunguna ng pampulitikang impeachment na 'yan,' Marcos said in Mav Gonzales's report on GMA's '24 Oras Weekend' on Sunday. 'Pero sa kabilang inuurong nang inuurong 'yung impeachment?...Tanggapin niyo na, talo na ang impeachment. 'Yun lang 'yun. Kahit ngayon, kahit sa Hulyo pa, talo na,' she added. (For me, that is what is important, to help people and stop prioritizing this political impeachment. On the other hand, why is the impeachment being moved again and again? Just accept that the impeachment has lost. That is it. Whether now or in July, it has already lost.) Another Duterte ally, incoming Senator Rodante Marcoleta also said that the trial will not succeed in unseating her. 'Lintik lang ang walang ganti. Humanda sila. Ayaw niyong tumigil, kurbahan natin,' he said in the same report. 'They would not be able to remove the Vice President. Itaga mo sa bato 'yan, itaga niyo sa bato 'yan, walang mangyayari. The Vice President will stay as Vice President,' he added. (There will be revenge. The should prepare themselves. If you don't want to stop, let us curve them. They would not be able to remove the Vice President. Set that in stone, nothing will happen. The Vice President will stay as Vice President.) Marcos and Marcoleta will both be senator-judges at the impeachment trial. 'Forthwith' For his part, outgoing Senate Minority leader Aquilino 'Koko' Pimentel III said he is dismayed with the change in the Senate calendar. 'Nung February 2025, nagpalabas na ng impeachment calendar si SP [Senate President]. Diba dinebate natin dati 'yun na 'forthwith.' Dapat nga hindi mo na hinintay ang June 2 pero siya na ang nasunod kasi lumipas na ang panahon,' he said. (In February, SP already released a calendar. We also debated the term 'forthwith.' He should not have waited for June 2 but he was followed as time passed.) For his part, attorney and constitutional law expert Domingo Cayosa said it seems as though Senate is dribbling the impeachment. 'Even if you look at the rules of the Senate itself, malinaw naman na kapag may [it is clear that if there is an] impeachment, it takes precedence over the ordinary legislative work,' he said. 'It's not fair to the accused, it's not fair to the prosecutors, it is not fair to the Filipino people,' he added. GMA Integrated News has reached out to Escudero for comment on the matter, but he said he will release a statement on Monday, June 2. According to House Assistant Majority Leader and Tingog party-list Representative Jude Acidre, he is optimistic that the impeachment trial will still push through, if not in 19th Congress then in the 20th, as seen in the United States where the impeachment trial process of the Philippines has pas been patterned. 'Pinakilala dun si President Bill Clinton. Na-impeach sa isang Kongreso at nagkaroon ng trial sa kabilang Kongreso. Gusto ko na lang panghawakan 'yung sinabi ni Senator Jinggoy Estrada na gagampanan ng Senado ang kanilang Constitutional duty na talakayin ang impeachment,' he said in a separate report by Jonathan Andal. (Most known is that of President Bill Clinton. He was impeached in one Congress and the trial was held in another. I trust what Senator Jinggoy Estrada said that the Senate will perform its Constitutional duty to take up the impeachment.) Acidre also called Duterte's remarks—likening her impeachment trial to a crucifixion—as drama. 'Hindi kailangan ng drama dito [There is no drama needed here]. We don't even have to resort to language such as that,' he said. 'Kung naniniwala ang ating Bise Presidente at ang kaniyang mga kakampi na wala silang kasalanan, na wala silang pananagutan, harapin nila [If the Vice President and her allies believe that they are innocent, if they do not have liabilities, they should face it],' he added. Hearings earlier revealed that the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd), also previously headed by Duterte, submitted documents with wrong dates, signatures without names of signatories, and unreadable names of signatories to justify the disbursement of its confidential funds in 2022 and 2023. A House panel in December found that there was no PSA record of 'Mary Grace Piattos,' whose signature appeared the most in acknowledgement receipts for confidential funds of office under Vice President Sara Duterte. The House panel earlier offered a P1-million reward for any information on the individual. Duterte, for her part, earlier said she has not seen the acknowledgement receipts from confidential funds supposedly signed by 'Mary Grace Piattos.' Another article of impeachment against Duterte is her stating that she had contracted a killer to assassinate erstwhile ally President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. if she is killed. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
House prosecutor: Swear in senators as impeach trial judges pronto
To ensure that the Senate convenes into an impeachment court before the 19th Congress ends, an impeachment prosecutor recommended Friday that senators take their oath as impeachment court judges immediately after the Articles of Impeachment are read in a Senate session on June 11. "I hope they can convene by taking their oath as senator-judges also on June 11. It's up to them how their agenda will include that. But that's the most practical way of convening the impeachment court while they are still in session," said impeachment prosecutor Lorenz Defensor, who serves as House deputy majority leader and representative of the 3rd district of Iloilo. Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero wrote the House of Representatives to say that the reading of Articles of Impeachment on June 2 has been postponed to June 11 so the Senate could prioritize approving important pieces of legislation. Based on the legislative calendar of the 19th Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives resume session from June 2 to 13 before they adjourn sine die on June 14. Congress will resume session on July 28 when the 20th Congress opens. "Further delay means that the Senate cannot constitute itself as the impeachment court if we will not hold sessions the following day on June 12, kasi holiday (because it's a holiday)," Defensor said. He added, "Meaning wala pang senador ang makaka-take oath, magtatapos na ang 19th Congress kasi mag-a-adjourn na kami sine die. So meaning, wala pa rin impeachment court by June 13, June 14. Kasi walang nag-take oath on a session day." (This means no senator will be able to take an oath as a judge. The 19th Congress would end because we will adjourn sine die. So meaning, there would still be no impeachment court by June 13, June 14, because nobody took an oath on a session day.) Abide by Senate's decision However, Defensor said he and the other impeachment prosecutors of the House of Representatives cannot do anything but abide by the Senate's decision. "I am disheartened because the delay has been long enough, but a lawyer in any court, the defense as well as the prosecution, will have to abide by whatever the court will decide on and whatever order or whatever process the Senate court will issue," Defensor said. "So tatanggapin namin 'yun. Parang abogado lang sa korte (So we will accept that, just like a lawyer in court)," he added. Lost time Defensor and another House leader, House Deputy Majority Leader and La Union 1st district Representative Paolo Ortega, expressed concern over the delay. Ortega said, "Well, may delay, may cause of delay. Doon lang tayo may konting apprehension kasi sayang 'yung oras. A few months ago, a few weeks ago, may na-set na tayo na oras tapos biglang ganito na naman." (Well, there's a delay, a cause of delay. That was our apprehension because time will be lost. A few months ago, a few weeks ago, a timeline was set then here comes a new schedule.) For his part, Defensor said, "I accept the reason for delay of the Senate President. Anyway, what is one week? And they said that they will prioritize the priority bills under the LEDAC (Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council). But as for any further delay, it's very bad for democracy. It's not a good reflection of how the Senate wants to proceed with this impeachment trial." "So sana ma-reconsider ng Senado ang kanilang desisyon na ipatagal pa (Hopefully the Senate would reconsider their decision to push back the date). While we respect the decision of the Senate as the impeachment court eventually, we hope that they will uphold their duty to hold trial for this impeachment," he added. GMA Integrated News has sought comment from Escudero regarding the matter, but he has yet to respond as of posting time. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Pimentel questions schedule change in reading of impeachment raps vs. VP Sara
Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said on Friday that he would ask Senate President Francis Escudero about his decision to move the presentation of articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte. 'We have to ask SP his thought processes and how come he is now changing his own 'impeachment calendar' issued months ago,' he said. The presentation of the articles of impeachment has been moved from June 2 to June 11. In a letter to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Escudero said the Senate and the House of Representatives needed to prioritize the passage of the items in the administration's legislative agenda before the 19th Congress adjourned sine die on June 14. Pimentel said that the legislative agenda of the Congress should give way to the impeachment proceedings. 'Meron kasi section or provision in our impeachment rules that gives the directive, that should there be both legislative and impeachment matters, the legislative agenda should give way to the impeachment proceedings,' he added. Escudero was referring to the meeting on Thursday of the Legislative-Executive Development Council (LEDAC), which resolved to pass measures listed in the legislative agenda within the 19th Congress. Among the priority measures are the Amendments to the Universal Health Care Act, Konektadong Pinoy Act, E-Governance Act, creation of the Virology Institute of the Philippines, Anti-POGO Act, among others. The Senate President also said there were over 200 presidential appointees whose appointments have to be reviewed and confirmed by the bicameral Commission on Appointments. Meanwhile, other Senators said the upper chamber must prioritize the approval of several priority measures. 'The passage of the priority bills should take precedence as asserted by Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero as sine die adjournment marks the official end of our regular session,' said Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, noting that this was agreed upon during the LEDAC meeting. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, noted that the Senate only has six session days, adding that committees will have to conduct bicameral and consultative meetings and even hearings to finalize the 12 priority measures. 'Having said that, I do agree to devote the next two weeks to finish the remaining bills and other legislative priorities before converting itself into an impeachment court,' he said. Meanwhile, Senator Imee Marcos, who is with Duterte in the Netherlands, also agreed that the Senate must focus its attention on the passage of the said measures. 'Dapat naman talaga unahin ang mga priority measures na ito dahil ito ang makakatulong sa bayan at hindi yung impeachment na pamumulitika lang,' she said. (These priority measures should really be prioritized because they will help the people and not impeachment, which is just politicking.) — BAP, GMA Integrated News
The Star
3 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Marcos admin wants seven bills enacted before new Congress starts
President Marcos address both chambers of Congress. Screenshot from RTVM/LIVE via PDI/ANN MANILA: The Marcos administration is pushing for the enactment of seven priority bills for the remaining six session days of the 19th Congress. At their meeting this week, the members of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council said the following bills are scheduled for deliberation in the Bicameral Conference Committee: Amendments to the Foreign Investors' Long-Term Lease Act; Rationalisation of the Mining Fiscal Regime; Amendments to the Universal Health Care Act; e-Government Act/ E-Governance Act; Konektadong Pinoy Act; Virology Institute of the Philippines; and Blue Economy Act. The Marcos administration remains 'hopeful that the remaining set of bills will be passed just in time before the end of the 19th Congress,' said Arsenio Balisacan. He is Secretary of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev). So far, 32 out of the government's 64 common legislative agenda bills have been enacted into law. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DEPDev urges Congress to pass 7 priority bills before session ends on June 13
The newly-created Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) has called on Congress to pass seven priority measures crucial for connectivity and healthcare before the 19th Congress officially ends on June 13. In a statement, DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the seven bills include: Amendments to the Foreign Investors' Long-Term Lease Act Rationalization of the Mining Fiscal Regime Amendments to the Universal Health Care Act E-Government Act / E-Governance Act Konektadong Pinoy Act Establishing the Virology Institute of the Philippines and Blue Economy Act. All these measures are pending the approval of the bicameral conference committee composed of contingent from the House of Representatives and the Senate. 'We thank the leadership of both the Senate and the House of Representatives for their dedication in crafting sound, strategic, coherent, and responsive policies for our country. We remain hopeful that the remaining set of bills will be passed just in time before the end of the 19th Congress,' Balisacan said. 'We look forward, in particular, to the Konektadong Pinoy Act - a critical bill that DEPDev has been championing for some time. We firmly believe this measure holds immense promise in transforming the lives of all Filipinos by ensuring reliable and affordable Internet access,' he added. The Konektadong Pinoy Act aims to improve digital connectivity in the country and provide affordable internet access for every Filipino by enhancing market accessibility, upgrading physical and digital infrastructure, and enabling full participation of individuals and businesses in the digital economy. The 19th Congress will resume on June 2 for a six-day session before it adjourns sine die on June 13. The 20th Congress is set to convene its first session day on July 28. The LEDAC serves as the primary consultative and advisory body to the President, ensuring synchronized executive development planning and congressional budgeting. For the 19th Congress, the Council identified 64 bills expected to advance the country's socioeconomic and development goals. Senate President Francis Escudero earlier said the Congress needs to focus on passing these priority measures first before the Senate convenes as Senate impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Dutetre. Escudero has rescheduled the reading of impeachment charges against the Vice President from June 2 to 11, or the last day of session since Congress only conducts plenary sessions from Mondays to Wednesdays. Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, with over 200 congressmen endorsing the complaint against her. She was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes mainly over alleged misuse of around P612.5 million worth of confidential funds and threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., First Lady Liza, and the President's cousin and Speaker, Leyte First District Rep. Martin Romualdez. The Vice President, for her part, said she is looking forward to her impeachment trial in the upcoming 20th Congress because she 'wants a bloodbath." —Llanesca Panti/AOL, GMA Integrated News
