THE CONGRESSMEN who will serve as prosecutors in the trial of Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio are prepared to make their case when the Senate convenes as an impeachment court, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said on Wednesday.
The Senate should ensure that there would be no “unnecessary delays” during the trial, which he said is important to keep Philippine institutions credible and accountable.
“The report I received from the House of Representatives prosecutors is that they are ready to present the case any time the impeachment court is convened,” he said in a statement in Filipino.
“We trust that the Senate will carry out its constitutional duty and proceed with the trial without unnecessary delays, in accordance with the rule of law,” he added.
The House impeached the Vice-President on Feb. 5, alleging secret fund misuse, unexplained wealth, acts of destabilization and plotting the assassination of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and his family.
Ms. Duterte has denied any wrongdoing.
The impeachment complaint was filed and signed by more than 200 congressmen, more than the one-third legal requirement before it could be sent to the Senate.
The Senate plans to present the articles of impeachment and approve the revised impeachment rules once it reconvenes for a two-week session in June.
“I trust that the Senate will exercise its role as the impeachment court with the utmost fairness and independence,” Mr. Romualdez said. “The House has done its part in impeaching the Vice-President, and now it is up to the Senate to conduct a fair trial based on facts and evidence.”
Also on Wednesday, House Deputy Majority Leader and La Union Rep. Francisco Paolo P. Ortega V said the Senate should start Ms. Duterte’s impeachment trial.
“If the Senate can convene during recess to discuss other matters, then it should also be ready to deliberate on the impeachment case against the Vice-President,” he said in a separate statement.
The Philippine Congress has been on a four-month break since February for the midterm election campaign. Filipinos will pick a new set of congressmen, 12 of the 24-member Senate and other local government officials on May 12.
“If there’s time for other issues even during recess, why not focus on a matter that deeply impacts our nation?” Mr. Ortega asked.
The Senate in March held hearings into the collapse of a multi-billion-peso bridge in Isabela province and a dismissed mayor implicated in the operations of illegal online casinos. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio