Latest news with #Senado
GMA Network
17 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Idea that impeachment trial may not proceed 'disturbing,' complainants' lawyer says
'Dapat ipagpatuloy, dapat litisin ng Senado 'yung Vice President and come up with a decision either acquitting or convicting the impeachable official. A no-impeachment trial scenario is a violation of the Constitution,' Ligutan said. A lawyer for some of the parties who filed an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte said it was "disturbing" that there was a chance that the Senate, as an impeachment court, would not hear the articles of impeachment against her. Atty. Armando Virgil Ligutan, a counsel for those who filed the third impeachment complaint, said Article 11 of the Constitution only provided for the conviction or acquittal of the impeached official, not dismissal. 'Nakakabahala lang 'yung idea na pupwede hindi ipagpatuloy ng Senate 'yung isang constitutional duty, which is to try the Vice President in an impeachment trial," Ligutan said. (It is disturbing, the idea that it is an option for the Senate to not proceed with its constitutional duty to try the Vice President in an impeachment trial.) "For me, that is unthinkable within the four corners of the 1987 Constitution,' he added. 'Dapat ipagpatuloy, dapat litisin ng Senado 'yung Vice President and come up with a decision either acquitting or convicting the impeachable official. A no-impeachment trial scenario is a violation of the Constitution,' Ligutan added. (The Senate should proceed with the impeachment trial and come up with a decision.) Renato Reyes of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said the impeachment trial was "a constitutional mandate" of the Senate. He said groups would protest in front of the Senate on Tuesday morning to assail the delays of the trial. Impeachment complainants will also hold a press conference at the House of Representatives at 11 a.m. to demand that the trial proceed forthwith. "The impeachment trial is a constitutional mandate and cannot be left to the discretion of the senators. It cannot be up to the 20th Congress in the sense that they will still determine whether or not the trial will push through," Reyes said. "It is their constitutional duty to push through with the trial under the 20th congress. It is our view that this is not something that should even be voted on by the senators of the 20th congress. The constitution is clear that a trial must commence," he added. Former legislator and ex-vice president Leni Robredo spokesman Atty. Barry Gutierrez today called out the Senate's apparent inaction on the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte. Gutierrez described the inaction as a blatant affront to the Constitution and to the will of the Filipino people. 'The Constitution mandates that after the House passes the Articles of Impeachment, the Senate shall forthwith proceed with the trial,' Gutierrez said. 'Hindi po ito isang suggestion, ito ay constitutional obligation (This is not a suggestion, but a constitutional obligation).' Senate President Francis Escudero on Monday said that it was up for the 20th Congress to decide whether the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte would proceed. Sara Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, with over 200 congressmen endorsing the articles of impeachment against her. This complaint, a consolidation of the three separate impeachment complaints filed against the Vice President by various groups, accuses her 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., his wife Liza and the President's cousin and Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez. 'Now, it could be argued that dismissal is like acquittal. But for me, that would be engaging in legal gymnastics. We are stretching what is otherwise clear in the Constitution," said Fr. Flavie Villanueva, one of the convenors of the People's Impeachment Movement. "The Senate must proceed with a trial and either acquit or convict the impeachable official, who in this case is the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines," he added. PIM's Pastor Leonard Arevalo, the Senior Pastor of the San Bartolome Christian Fellowship, then called on the Senate to rise above political pressure and act in defense of public interest. 'Hindi dapat bumigay ang Senado sa anumang pressure o impluwensiya. Dapat nitong gampanan ang kanyang tungkulin sa ilalim ng ating Saligang Batas at panagutin ang mga nagkasala sa bayan,' Arevalo said. (The Senate should not give in to pressure and influence and fulfill their mandate as stated in our Constitution: hold those who sinned against the country accountable.) –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Palace: Sara Duterte impeachment trial beyond President Marcos' reach
The impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte is beyond the reach of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Friday. 'Maliwanag po ang sinabi ng Pangulo na sa simula po ay ayaw niya talaga po ng impeachment dahil maaaring mayroon pong ibang mga legal na pamamaraan para mapanagot ang dapat mapanagot. Pero ngayon po, ang Bise Presidente po ay impeached na, wala na po sa Pangulo ito,' Castro said during a Palace press briefing. (What the President said is clear from the very start. He does not favor impeachment because there may be other legal remedies to hold public officials accountable. But now that the Vice President is already impeached, this is out of the President's hands.) 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 Marcos, First Lady Liza, and the President's cousin and Speaker, Leyte First District Rep. Martin Romualdez. 'Iyon naman po ay kaniyang suggestion lang, kung maaari ay ayaw niya ng impeachment. Ang sabi po ng Pangulo, proseso,' Castro added. (What the President said is a mere suggestion. But he favors due process.) Further, Castro said that the President does not have the authority over any impeachment proceeding. 'The impeachment trial is not the business of the Executive. Hindi po makikialam ang Pangulo patungkol po diyan, pero sinabi po niya na dapat umandar ang proseso, irespeto ang due process,' Castro said. (The President won't meddle with the impeachment process, but the President also said the process should be followed, with respect to due process.) 'So, ito po ay nasa kamay na ng mga prosecutors, nasa kamay na po ng Senado. 'Pag sinabi po nating proseso, dapat sundin ang batas,' she added. (The impeachment is in the hands of the prosecutors and the Senate. And when we say process, law should be followed.) Castro also said the ultimate judge of the public officials' performance, whether it is the Vice President, senators or the House prosecutors, is the people. 'Ang taumbayan na po ang titingin at maghuhusga sa mga taong nasa loob or maaaring gumalaw para sa impeachment trial. Ang mga prosecutors dapat gampanan ang kanilang trabaho bilang prosecutors; ang mga senador bilang judges ay dapat ding gampanan ang kanilang trabaho bilang senators-judges. Proseso po ang nais ng Pangulo,' Castro said. (The public will be the one to judge those involved in the impeachment trial. The prosecutors should do their job as prosecutors, the senators should do their job as senator-judges. At the end of the day, what the President wants is due process.) 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." —AOL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
7 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec: Only few Eleksyon 2025 bets have filed SOCEs
Just a few local and national candidates in Eleksyon 2025 have so far filed their Statements of Contribution and Expenditures (SOCEs) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), more than two weeks after the May 12 polls. Comelec Chairman George Garcia on Tuesday said, "Wala pa halos. Baka nagpapasa sila ng SOCE sa mga local Comelec pero sa national—whether party-list or Senado—wala pa halos nagfa-file sapagkat alam natin na hanggang June 11 ang filing," said poll chairperson George Erwin Garcia. (There are only a few candidates. Maybe some filed their SOCEs at the local Comelec offices but for the national bets, whether candidates for party-list or Senate, only a few have complied. We know that the filing deadline is on June 11.) Under Section 14 of Republic Act (RA) 7166 or the Synchronized Elections Act, every candidate or treasurer of a political party shall file in duplicate with the offices of the Comelec the "full, true and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures in connection with the election" within 30 days after the elections, or until June 11, 2025. Candidates who fail to file their SOCEs will be charged with an administrative offense and will be liable to pay a fine from P1,000 to P30,000 at the discretion of the poll body, except for aspirants at the barangay level. For winning bets or political parties, failure to comply may also result in withholding the candidates' assumption of office. For his part, Garcia reminded Eleksyon 2025 bets—including those who withdrew their candidacies after February 11 for national posts or March 28 for local positions—to study their SOCEs to avoid election offenses. "Pinapa-remind natin ang lahat na sana pag-aralan nang mabuti ang SOCE na ifa-file nila. Alamin, tingnan mabuti, 'wag basta pipirma. Ibase lagi sa registered voters, hindi sa number of voters who actually voted sapagkat baka sumobra sa fina-file nila at therefore, makakasuhan sila ng kasong criminal," he said. (We want to remind candidates to study the SOCEs they intend to file. They should base it on registered voters and not the number of voters who actually voted because this may be filed with criminal cases.) "Violation ng SOCE rule and at the same time, puwedeng maging ground for perpetual disqualification para manungkulan, whether appointive or elective, lalo na at di sila makakapag file ng SOCEs," Garcia added. (That would constitute a violation of SOCE rules and may be used as ground for perpetual disqualification from public service, whether appointive or elective, especially if they fail to file SOCEs.) Section 13 of Republic Act (RA) 7166 provides the limitation of authorized expenses of candidates and political parties. It states that candidates vying for the presidency and vice-presidency shall spend P10 for every voter, while aspirants with political parties are allowed to spend P3 for every voter currently registered in the constituency where he or she filed his or her certificate of candidacy. Independent candidates, meanwhile, are allowed to spend up to P5 per voter. Political parties, for their part, are allowed up to P5 for every voter currently registered in the constituency or constituencies where it has official candidates. — VDV, GMA Integrated News For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
GMA Network
21-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Neophyte lawmaker to Dutertes, allies: Don't pretend to be the opposition
Vice President Sara Duterte and Congressman Pulong Duterte attend a thanksgiving mass at the Carmelite Church in Lanang, Davao City on May 17, 2025. Photo: Office of the Vice President Vice President Sara Duterte's wish for her brother, Davao City lawmaker Paolo "Pulong" Duterte, to vie for the top opposition post in the House is a smokescreen to keep power, Kabataan Partylist representative-elect Renee Co said Wednesday. Over the weekend, the Vice President said that her brother should vie for the speakership or, failing that, the House Minority Leader position. "Fantasy 'yan sila. Threatened ang mga Duterte na mawalan ng kapit sa poder kung tuluyang matanggal sa pwesto si Sara at ma-convict si Digong, kaya biglang pepwesto si Pulong,' Co said. (That is their fantasy. Their family just feels threatened that they could lose grip on power if the Vice President is removed from office, and former President Rodrigo Duterte is convicted [in The Hague], so they want to put Pulong in position.) 'Huwag silang magpanggap na oposisyon. Kailangan na talaga magpasa ng Anti-Political Dynasty Bill para hindi na nilalaro ng mga pami-pamilya ang mga posisyon sa gobyerno. Hindi dapat chessboard ng mga pamilyang Marcos at Duterte ang Kongreso,' Co added. (They should stop claiming to be the opposition. That is why we need to pass the Anti-Political Dynasty bill into a law, so that elective positions in government are not being played around with by families. Congress should not be a chessboard for the Duterte and Marcos families.) GMA News Online has reached out to Congressman Duterte for comment. In a separate press conference also on Wednesday, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said that she will not join an opposition bloc composed of the allies of former President Duterte in the 20th Congress. 'Well, wala po akong planong sumali sa isang Duterte bloc. Kung makukuha nila 'yung label ng minority, may option pa rin po ako or kami, kung mag-decision po kami, na [maging] isang independent bloc na magpapatuloy talaga sa pag-check and balance, magpapatuloy sa pag-fiscalize, at pati sa labas ng Senado. Magpapatuloy sa pagbubuo ng oposisyon [sa mga] Duterte at sa kina Presidente [Marcos],' Hontiveros said during Kapihan sa Senado. (I have no plans of joining the Duterte bloc. If they emerge as the minority bloc, we have the option to decide to be an independent bloc, to continue the checks and balances, to fiscalize inside and outside of the Senate halls. The building of an opposition bloc against Duterte and President Marcos will continue.) Hontiveros will gain two allies in the Senate with the return of Francis 'Kiko' Pangilinan and Paolo Benigno 'Bam' Aquino IV. — BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
21-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Risa eyes independent bloc if Duterte allies in Senate become minority
Senator Risa Hontiveros has no plans of being in one group with senators allied with former President Rodrigo Duterte who branded themselves as the "opposition" to the Marcos administration. During the Kapihan sa Senado on Wednesday, Hontiveros said that if the Duterte-allied senators would establish themselves as the minority bloc in the 20th Congress, her "plan B" is to form an "independent bloc" with her political allies namely, senators-elect Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan and Bam Aquino. Hontiveros said she is "sure" of the probable scenario that there would be two groups that will seek to be the minority bloc in the upcoming Congress. "Wala po akong planong sumali sa isang Duterte bloc (I have no plans of joining a Duterte bloc)," she said. "Kung makukuha nila 'yung label ng minority, may option pa rin po ako or kami kung mag-decision po kami na isang independent bloc na magpapatuloy talaga sa pag-check and balance, magpapatuloy sa pag-fiscalize, at pati sa labas ng Senado, magpapatuloy sa pagbubuo ng oposisyon—, pareho sa Duterte at sa kina Presidente (Marcos)… As in everything sa pag-organize ng Senate, it's a matter of numbers," she added. (If they get the label of minority, I or we still have the option to form an independent block that will continue doing the checks and balances, continue fiscalizing, even outside of the Senates, and push forward with forming an opposition [like the senators who are allied] with Duterte, and with the President... As in everything related to organizing in the Senate, it's a matter of numbers.) According to Hontiveros, no one has talked to her about the Senate presidency yet. "They haven't talked to us as a group. They haven't talked to me individually… Wala rin text message. Pero take note, ang minority, kahit 'pag hindi kinakausap, nagsasalita," she said. (They haven't talked to us as a group. They haven't talked to me individually... No text messages at all. But take note, the minority speaks even if no one is talking to them.) Impeachment trial In the same press conference, Hontiveros vowed to maintain neutrality and objectivity in voting during the impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte. The senator made the remark despite her previous heated exchange and criticism of the Vice President's handling of her offices' confidential and intelligence funds. "Basta impeachment, neutrality of a senator-judge, judging on the basis of the evidence. Gan'un lang. Na-distill na to its essence. And that's it. That's my message to anyone, even to her," she said. (As long as it's about impeachment, it should show the neutrality of a senator-judge judging on the basis of evidence. That's all. Distilled to it essence. And that's it. That's my message to anyone, even to her.) In response to the Vice President saying she wants a "bloodbath" on her impeachment trial, Hontiveros said this term is not in her "vocabulary." "Bilang senator-judge, wala naman sa bokabularyo ko para sa impeachment 'yung ganyang salita (As a senator-judge, those words are not in my vocabulary related to impeachment). But as I said, and I am committed just to have that neutrality demanded of judges, and in particular in the case of impeachment of senator-judges," she said. "The only vocabulary that matters sa impeachment ay… 'yung neutrality and 'yung pagiging senator-judge and voting on the basis of the evidence," she pointed out. (The only vocabulary that matters during impeachment is the neutrality and the senator judge voting on the basis of evidence.) PrimeWater deal Meanwhile, Hontiveros is seeking the launch of the Senate probe into PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp.'s services in June. "Pag-resume namin sa Hunyo, inaasahan kong ma-refer siya sa proper committee. And like every other resolution, ifa-follow up ko sa chair na ma-schedule nila ng pagdinig. Kahit isang hearing lang muna ngayong patapos na 19th Congress," she said. (When we resume session in June, I trust it would be referred tot the proper committee. And like every other resolution, I will follow it up with the chair so that the hearing can be scheduled now that the 19th Conress is lemonning.) Asked if it felt awkward to investigate a corporation that is close to the Villars, Hontiveros said, "Mas awkward kung hindi kumilos ang Senate doon (It's more awkward if the Senate doesnt take action on this.)" Hontiveros clarified that it will not only be PrimeWater that will be investigated, but also the two other water concessionaires over the problems in their services. PrimeWater is owned by the Villar family. There are two Villars in the current Congress, namely Senator Mark Villar and her mother, outgoing Senator Cynthia Villar. Senator-elect Camille Villar will replace her mother Cynthia, and she will join her brother Mark in the 20th Congress. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
