Sabotage? Chiz defends rejection of House motion for Sara summons

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Thursday defended his rejection of the House of Representatives prosecution team's motion to issue summons against Vice President Sara Duterte to answer the articles of impeachment.

In an interview over Super Radyo dzBB, Escudero maintained that such move would be "illegal."

“Gusto nila gumawa kami ng isang bagay na ilegal. Kaya ibabalik ko na lang ang katanungan sa kanila dahil nakakapagod na. Gusto ba talaga nilang isabotahe yung impeachment na finafile nila kaya gusto nilang mangyari to? ” Escudero said in an interview over dzBB. 

(They want us to do a move that is considered illegal. That’s why I want to ask them because I’m getting tired of it: Do you really want to sabotage the impeachment case that you filed?)

“Kasi yun ang tanging paliwanag na nakikita ko para gustuhin nila ito na klaro naman na nakalagay sa batas,” he added.

(Because that is the only reason I see behind their moves.)

Escudero reiterated that the issuance of summons can only be done once they are in session and after the articles of impeachment are endorsed to the plenary and the impeachment court is convened.

“Ang klaro klaro at ang liwa-liwanag. Sa totoo lang nauubusan na ako ng pasensya kakapaalala. Pare-pareho naman kaming mga kongresista na marunong magbasa ng batas at hangga’t walang sesyon, hindi kami pwede mag-convene,” he said.

(It's very clear. To be honest, I'm running out of patience with all the reminders. We, as congress members, all know how to read the law, and as long as there's no session, we cannot convene.)

Legal

House prosecutor and Iloilo Representative Lorenz Defensor on Tuesday said that their motion to the Senate is "legal."

“Lagi naming irerespeto ang Senate president as the presiding judge ng impeachment court. At gagawa lang kami ng prosesong mga legal based on the existing Senate rules of impeachment,” Defensor said.

(We always respect the Senate President as the presiding judge of the impeachment court, and we will only take steps that are legal.)

"Wala kaming gagawing wala sa legal na pamamaraan, at igagalang namin, kasi katulad nga ng sinabi ko, ang isang judge sa isang trial court. Hindi mo naman pwede basta-basta mangbraso ka. You always have to respect,” he added.

(We would not do anything that was not by legal means, and we will respect a judge of the trial court. You can't force it.)

Legal uestions

The Senate chief, who will serve as the presiding officer of the impeachment court, then warned the House members that their push to fast-track the impeachment process might just open this to legal questions.

“Paalala sa mga miyembro ng kamara na gigil na gigil i-impeach si Vice President Sara, baka sa kakamadali lalo lang nilang binibigyan ng armas ang Vice President na kwestyunin ang proseso,” Escudero said.

(A reminder to the members of the chamber who are eager to impeach Vice President Sara: they might just be giving the Vice President more grounds to question the process.)

Earlier this week, the House prosecution panel filed an entry with motion to issue summons in the Senate, asking that Duterte be directed to file her answer "within a non-extendible period of 10 days from receipt of the writ of summons.

This, however, was rejected by Escudero, arguing that this impeachment process should be done after the impeachment court is convened.

Duterte was impeached 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. --VAL, GMA Integrated News