‘Fulfill your duty’: Groups urge Senate to proceed with Duterte impeachment trial

Metro Manila, Philippines - Several groups called for the Senate to proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte amid delays and some talks of dismissing the case.

In a statement on Saturday, the Ateneo School of Government said dispensing the case without a trial would be a “clear attempt to whitewash” the accusations against Duterte.

“We call on the Senate to fulfill its Constitutional duty and to proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte,” it said. “We remind our Senators that they are public servants and their mandate is based on the people’s trust.”

The Ateneo Human Rights Center also urged the Senate to “proceed forthwith - or without delay,” calling for an independent, fair, and fearless process.

The Philippine Political Science Association (PPSA) and a group of De La Salle University alumni made the same push in their respective statements released on Friday, June 6.

“An independent Senate must rise above political pressures and demonstrate its loyalty to democratic principles and the Filipino people,” the PPSA said.

“What we have witnessed thus far, however, is the opposite: an institution that appears paralyzed and compromised,” it added.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and its allied organizations also said they are set to hold a protest on June 11 to demand that the Senate immediately proceed with the trial.

This cry follows the remark made by Senator Imee Marcos where she mentioned efforts to dismiss the impeachment case are coming not only from Duterte allies but also from those tied to the administration.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero earlier postponed the highly anticipated convening of the Senate as an impeachment court to June 11 from its initial June 2 date.

Since the Constitution mandates that impeachment proceedings must “forthwith” proceed, calls mounted for the Senate to convene as an impeachment court during the congressional break. However, Senate leadership maintained that the Articles of Impeachment must first be formally read in open session.

There is also ongoing debate over whether the impeachment trial can carry over into the 20th Congress or if it will lapse with the sine die adjournment of the 19th Congress in June.

Duterte is the first vice president to be impeached by the House of Representatives, following an overwhelming vote of over 200 lawmakers on Feb. 5, the last session day before the midterm election.

She is facing charges related to her alleged misuse of confidential funds and public threats against the President, the First Lady, and the Speaker of the House.