Tolentino impeachment trial timeline insufficient - House members

Metro Manila, Philippines - Some House members said Senator Francis Tolentino’s proposed timeline for the trial of impeached Vice President Sara Duterte is insufficient to present and deliberate evidence.

Tolentino suggested a 19-day litigation beginning June 11, when the House prosecutors will read the Articles of Impeachment, to end on June 30, after which a decision would be rendered.

The senator is a last-termer who lost a re-election bid. The 19th Congress adjourns sine die after June 11, and its last regular session closes on June 30.

In separate chance interviews of party-list lawmakers on Monday, June 9, 1-Rider Rep. Rodge Gutierrez, Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendana, and Gabriela Women’s Rep. Arlene Brosas said they were not keen on the Tolentino timeline.

“I don't think it would be possible on our part to just consolidate it into two articles, that would be a betrayal of the full articles of impeachment that we have… Parang dalawang araw lang 'yung nabibigay [Two days were given] for presentation ng evidence, and if you would divide it into seven articles, that will really not be enough time,” said Gutierrez, one of the prosecutors.

“Kailangan ng impeachment case natin ng fair day in court at hindi siya magkakaroon ng fair day in court kung mamadaliin naman ngayon,” said Cendana, the endorser of the first Duterte impeachment complaint.

[Translation: The impeachment case needs a fair day in court and it would not happen if they would expedite it.]

“Substantial dapat na discussion… We think kung hanggang June 30 siya — bibigyan mo lang na isang araw, isang araw — hindi siya enough, hindi siya sapat, at dapat ma-satisfy natin 'yung tanong ng mga taumbayan kaugnay dito sa impeachment,” said Brosas, one of the endorsers of the second impeachment case.

[Translation: The discussion should be substantial. If it would be until June 30 only, we think that is not enough and we should satisfy the questions of the public regarding the impeachment.]

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong, meanwhile, said he would rather defer to the Senate.

“We have already delivered our commitment to the people and our mandate to the Constitution and so, we're just waiting for the Senate to do the same,” he said.

For House Deputy Speaker Jay-Jay Suarez, the proposal is still “mere pieces of paper.”

“It's a mere proposal not until may makita tayong [not until we see a] concrete from the Senate,” he said.

Mamamayang Liberal Rep.-elect Leila de Lima, poised to join the House prosecution team, called Tolentino’s timeline “unrealistic.”

“Kalokohan na ipagpaliban nang apat na buwan ang impeachment para lamang isiksik ang pagprisinta ng ebidensya ng prosecution sa loob ng dalawang araw. Kalokohan at isang malaking panloloko. A recipe for railroading,” she said in a social media post.

[Translation: It is a joke to sit on the impeachment case for four months just to squeeze the prosecution’s presentation of evidence into two days. It is a joke and a huge deceit.]

Since the House of Representatives impeached Duterte in February, House members have called on the Senate to convene as an impeachment court and begin the trial.

Escudero initially set the reading of Articles of Impeachment on June 2 but it was postponed to June 11, citing the need to prioritize key legislation.

Duterte was impeached over various issues, including her supposed mismanagement of P612.5-million confidential funds and killing threats against the First Family.

READ: More than half of DepEd confidential fund payees ‘non-existent’ – lawmaker