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Hontiveros: Delaying Sara Duterte's impeach trial a neglect of 19th Congress senators' duty
Senate Deputy Minority Risa Hontiveros echoed Wednesday the call of Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III for the Senate to immediately commence the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying delaying it is tantamount to neglecting their duties as senators.
"Sumang-ayon ako at sumasang-ayon hanggang ngayon sa pananaw ni Senate Minority Leader Senator Koko Pimentel na ang linaw ng utos ng Constitution sa amin--'forthwith,' at mas klaro pa nga sa Pilipino-- 'agad'," Hontiveros said during the Kapihan sa Senado forum.
(I agreed and continue to agree with the perspective of Senate Minority Leader Senator Koko Pimentel that the Constitution's mandate to us is clear. Forthwith, and even clearer in Filipino, it means immediately.)
"Para sa akin, magiging malaking pagpapabaya sa responsibilidad namin, [ng] Senado ngayong 19th Congress, na gawin ang aming trabaho sa impeachment complaint na ito. Totoo, hindi masasayang ang panahon dahil magagawa namin yung mga preliminaries pero hindi na namin mapapatupad yung rules ng impeachment trial dahil 20th Congress Senate na ang magpapatupad nito," she added.
(For me, it would be a neglect of our responsibility, as the Senate in this 19th Congress, not to fulfill our duty regarding this impeachment complaint. It's true that the time won't go to waste since we can work on the preliminaries, but we won't be able to implement the rules of the impeachment trial because it will be the Senate of the 20th Congress that will carry it out.)
Hontiveros said it would be a "very bad precedent" if the Senate will miss its "chance" and "responsibility" to hear an impeachment complaint that is about seeking accountability on how public funds were spent.
(If we were to leave it to the 20th Congress Senate to handle that impeachment complaint, we senators of the 19th Congress would have failed in our responsibility to address it now.)
Hontiveros also cited the position of Pimentel that the impeachment trial won't affect the legislative calendar.
"Pwede natin sabihin na dahil nag-adjourn yung regular sessions ng Senado, hindi ibig sabihin na hindi pwedeng umandar at ganapin ang aming tungkulin sa isang impeachment trial naman," the opposition lawmaker added.
(Just because the regular sessions of the Senate have adjourned, it doesn’t mean we can’t proceed and fulfill our duties in an impeachment trial.)
GMA News Online sought the comment of Senate President Francis Escudero on Hontiveros’ remarks, but he has yet to respond as of posting time.
Earlier, Escudero stood firm that the pre-trial procedures will commence upon resumption of sessions on June 2 and they will start trial in the 20th Congress after the State of the Nation Address of the president.
But for Hontiveros, Escudero's position of being careful with the legalities surrounding Duterte's case is no longer a factor because the Vice President has already sought relief from the Supreme Court.
"Hindi na namin kinailangan hintayin yun. Ayan, tumakbo na si VP Sara sa Korte Suprema precisely para hamunin yung impeachment complaint na yun," she said.
(We don't have to wait for that because VP Sara has already run to the Supreme Court to challenge the impeachment complaint.)
She also backed Pimentel's call to hold an all-senators caucus to discuss the positions of each senator in holding the impeachment trial, including the possibility of starting it earlier than Escudero's June 2 schedule.
'Impartial, fair'
Although she is a staunch critic of the Dutertes and she had misunderstandings with the Vice President in the past, Hontiveros vowed to be fair in the impeachment trial and said she will hear the case "as if fresh."
"Bilang senator-judge, eventually, kung matutuloy na ito, at gaya ng paalala ni SP, magiging impartial, fair, aaralin talaga at titimbangin yung mga ebidensya... I have always tried to be fair. I have always tried to be objective. And I have always tried to be respectful sa mga witnesses, kahit sila pa yung pinatutungkulan ng imbestigasyon. And the same would be true if and when the impeachment trial gets underway," Hontiveros said.
(As a senator-judge, if this proceeds, and as SP has reminded us, I will remain impartial and fair. I will carefully study and weigh the evidence. I have always tried to be fair, objective, and respectful toward witnesses, even if they are the focus of the investigation. The same approach will apply if and when the impeachment trial begins.)
"Kailangan pakinggan ko, as it were, with new ears, isipin ko with a new mind, but syempre, dahil tao, and I think as a responsible legislator, titimbangin ko rin in comparison with previous evidence I have studied," she added.
(I need to listen, as it were, with fresh ears, think with a new perspective, but of course, as a human being and a responsible legislator, I will also weigh it against the previous evidence I have studied.)
The House impeached Duterte on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint. The Articles of Impeachment were transmitted to the Senate the same day, but the upper chamber adjourned without addressing the case.
Meanwhile, Duterte has filed a Supreme Court petition challenging the validity of the impeachment complaint.
Lawyers from Mindanao and other groups have also asked the SC to stop the trial, calling the complaint defective.
Another petition filed by lawyer Catalino Generillo Jr. seeks to compel the Senate to convene as an impeachment court immediately. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
