a day ago
Ortega says House must comply with order of impeachment court
House Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega of La Union said the House should comply with the order of the Senate impeachment court, but not just yet, as the 20th Congress still does not exist.
The Senate impeachment court on Tuesday night voted to return the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives and asked for a certification that it didn't violate the one-year ban on subsequent impeachment complaints and from the House in the 20th Congress, that it was interested in pursuing the case.
'Siguro, we will deal with that when we get to the 20th Congress. Kasi siyempre mag-iiba yung roster natin. Although 80+% naman ng Congress is coming still from the 19th Congress," Ortega told reporters.
"Well, dapat pa ring mag-comply kasi impeachment court din yung nagbigay ng order na yon,' he added.
House Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Jude Acidre of Tingog Partylist saw no need to do so.
'I don't think there is a need for that, di ba? I think the Articles of Impeachment itself is already the certification that they need," Acidre said.
"And that based on the jurisprudence and actual practice that we have, the articles of impeachment enjoy presumption of regularity unless there is evidence that should have been presented, not by the judges themselves, presented by the defense lawyers,' he added.
'I cannot even understand why a certification is far more important, far more stronger than the actual paper that has my signature that I signed under oath and that we voted upon with more than 200 members of Congress,' Acidre added.
House Deputy Minority Leader Rep France Castro of ACT Teachers Partylist says the Senate Impeachment Court's order recognizes that the impeachment proceedings can cross over from the current 19th Congress to the 20th Congress.
'Yung paghingi ng certification ng Senado para sa 20th Congress ay parang pagkilala na ito na tatawid ito sa 20th Congress,' Castro told reporters.
ML Partylist representative-elect Leila de Lima, who is expected to join the House Prosecution Panel in the 20th Congress, said the Senate impeachment court's order was 'unnecessary.'
'Such a certification by the 20th Congress is unnecessary. All the 20th Congress has to do is to reappoint the House prosecution managers to renew their authority and let them deal with the Senate as an impeachment court, instead of the House as a body directly dealing with the impeachment court," De Lima told GMA Integrated News.
"That's already the job of the House prosecutors,' she added.
Several legislators who supported the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte assured their position will remain the same in the 20th Congress.
'We've been very consistent that accountability forms a very important part in governance. Hindi naman pwede natin ipasawalang bahala. We cannot sweep under the rug an accusation, findings such as this,' Acidre said.
'I affirm naman yung stand ko doon. I need to see it through. Sabi ko nga, the Senate must try. Wala silang choice kundi mag-try,' Ortega said.
ACT Teachers Partylist representative-elect Antonio Tinio, who was a complainant in the second impeachment complaint filed against Sara Duterte, wants to see the impeachment trial proceed.
'Kung kinakailangan ay boboto tayo para matuloy. I mean, of course, ang fundamental position natin, bago ako maging kongresista, isa ako sa mga nag-file ng complaint," Tinio said.
"So, consistent with that, gagawin natin ang lahat para magtuloy-tuloy hanggang sa mapanagot si VP Sara sa issue ng confidential funds at iba pa,' he added.
The House members called on the public to voice their support to the impeachment proceedings.
'Importante pa rin talaga na yung taumbayan ay patuloy na magbantay. We cannot let our guard down. Dahil yan lang naman ang kinatatakutan in the end, whether ng Senate or ng House - malinaw na pinaririnig ng publiko na gusto nila matuloy ang trial at magkaroon ng accountability,' Tinio said.
"Kaya ito din yung challenge namin sa taumbayan. Kung meron kayong linya sa inyong mga kongresista, kaibigan nyo sila, o pwede nyo silang makausap, sulatan nyo sila, makipagdaupang palad kayo, ating ipaalam sa ating mga kongresista na una, nagmamatyag tayo. Pangalawa, na kakampin natin sila at hindi sila nag-iisa sa issue na ito,' Acidre said. –NB, GMA Integrated News
