9 hours ago
Youth group calls on Chiz to step down from Senate impeachment court
Youth group Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) called on Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero to step down as a senate-judge and the presiding officer at Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial.
According to a statement on Wednesday, SPARK said they placed posters on Taft Avenue in Manila and gave out flyers blasting Escudero's 'dereliction of his constitutional duty' as Senate president.
'By allowing his fellow senators to propose and carry motions that whisk Sara Duterte away from justice, Escudero has made a mockery of the constitution and the innate right of the Filipino people to hold officials to account,' said SPARK secretary general Patricia Racca.
'Instead of doing the job for which he was elected, Escudero has the gall to enable attempts to delay the Senate from fulfilling its duty as an impeachment court, and even argued that it is an unaccountable court with no limits in the decisions it can make,' she added.
SPARK stated that the impeachment case will not proceed unless Escudero steps down from his current responsibilities, following his 'fail[ure] to fulfill his mandate as presiding officer' when the articles of impeachment were sent back to the House.
'Escudero's actions as presiding officer of the impeachment court may even be deemed impeachable should it be properly investigated. However, it is already clear to us now that his actions speak to him presiding over a kangaroo court convened to the benefit of the Vice President herself,' Racca said.
GMA News Online has reached out to Escudero for comment. — BM, GMA Integrated News
