Romualdez leaves discretion on Duterte impeachment proceedings to Senate

Metro Manila, Philippines - House Speaker Martin Romualdez said the lower chamber leaves the decision on the conduct of impeachment proceedings of Vice President Sara Duterte to the Senate.

Senate President Chiz Escudero delayed the reading of articles of impeachment from June 2 to June 11.

READ: Pimentel hits Duterte impeachment delay, Senate majority defends move

Romualdez said the House respects the upper chamber’s decision.

“We leave it to their sound discretion as to how they want to proceed and conduct. The Senate President outlined the priority measures, like the LEDAC (Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council) measures, that they would like to prioritize first. So, we have to respect the position of the Senate President,” the House speaker said in an ambush interview on Monday, June 2.

However, some House members were dismayed with Escudero’s move.

Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr., one of the endorsers of the impeachment complaints that was already archived, expressed concern on the delay.

“Are we to tell the Filipino people that impeachable offenses committed by the second highest official of the land are less urgent than our legislative targets?” he said in a statement.

House Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor said postponing the reading of articles of impeachment would further delay other steps.

“Sana maintindihan ng ating mga senador na ang impeachment ay ang pinaka-importante at pinakamataas na uri ng paglilitis sa ating bansa,” Defensor, an impeachment prosecutor, said in a radio interview.

[Translation: I hope our senators understand that impeachment is the most important and highest type of trial in our country.]

La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega expressed concern about the time as the session will adjourn on June 14.

“Siyempre sine die ‘di ba so may closing din sa Congress,” Ortega said in a statement.

[Translation: The sine die adjournment of the Congress is near.]

Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre, meanwhile, said the issue is not about politics, but of the integrity of democracy.

“If we keep on postponing the only option available for us to hold our public officials accountable, siguro ang kailangan natin baka anong klaseng demokrasya tayo nagiging [what kind of democracy are we having],” Acidre said in a radio interview.

On the other hand, ML Party-list Rep.-elect Leila de Lima said Escudero should have detailed out what would happen on the new date. De Lima is poised to join the House prosecution panel, once she assumes office.

READ: De Lima, Diokno to join House prosecution team in Duterte impeachment

“Will there be official convening of the Senate as an impeachment court? Because before they can do anything, before they can receive and acknowledge the prosecution panel, and before they can ask the prosecution panel to officially read for the record the articles of impeachment, and before they can issue the summons to the official impeached, the respondent, VP Sara Duterte, kailangan muna mag-officially convene ang Senado [the Senate needs to officially convene] as an impeachment court. Will that happen on June 11?” de Lima asked in a chance interview on Monday.

Duterte was impeached in February over graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes.