Senate can and should issue summons to VP Duterte based on its impeachment rules – House prosecutor
THE Senate should issue a writ of summons to impeached Vice President Sara Duterte requiring her to answer the impeachment complaint filed against her by the House of Representatives last Feb. 5, House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan said Tuesday.
He told a news conference that the requirement is contained in the Senate rules on impeachment trials.
Under such rules, he said the Senate should ask the respondent to file an answer within 10 days from its receipt of the impeachment complaint.
Based on the impeachment timeline earlier released by Senate President Francis Escudero, Vice President Duterte would be required to answer the complaint on June 4.
Trial would start on July 30, two days after the State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and after the convening of the incoming 20th Congress.
Libanan said the June 4 plan to require the Vice President to answer the impeachment petition is not contained in the Senate impeachment rules.
“Ang nakikita ko po sa June 4, pag duon sila nagsimula ay wala po sa kanilang rules of procedure. Dahil pag nai-file kaagad, sa kanilang impeachment rules ay mag-i-issue sila ng summons to the one who is being sought to be impeached in a period of ten days from receipt of the articles of impeachment,” he said.
“So June 4 is is not ten days, napakalayo po niyan. So with this with this motion, hopefully ay magagawa nila, mapapa-answer nila ang ating vice president in a period of ten days. Otherwise, they have to amend their rules on impeachment procedure…i-amend nila sa Senado ‘yung kanilang impeachment proceedings rules,” he said.
Aside from invoking its own impeachment rules, Libanan said the Senate can act on the House prosecution’s motion because the chamber is working even while Congress is on recess.
He recounted that members of the House prosecution team signed their motion for entry of appearance and motion to issue summons to VP Duterte last March 14.
“Pero hindi namin kaagad ifinile dahil ang tingin po namin ay break nila. Sinasabi nila baka hindi sila makapagtrabaho dahil break na yung Senado. Pero apparently, nagkaroon po sila ng hearing last Thursday, yung committee ni Senadora Imee (Marcos),” he said.
He was referring to the inquiry on the March 11 arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
“Ibig sabihin, nagtatrabaho pa rin po ang Senado. Kaya ngayong araw ay ifinile po natin itong entry with motion to issue summons. Anong ibig po sabihin ito? Una, ay pinahahayag po namin na handa, nakanda po ang House. Kahit po ngayon ay panahon din ng kampanya po namin..dahil inataasan po kami na maglitis, maging prosecutors, ay gagawin po namin ang aming tungkulin,” he said.
“At ayon po sa rules of impeachment ng Senado, pag mayroong nai-file sa Senado na impeachment complaint, the Senate shall start the proceedings forthwith, simulan kaagad. Anong ibig sabihin ng forthwith? Without delay, right away, without delay. Yun po ang ibig sabihin ng forthwith,” Libanan said.
He reiterated the importance of starting the trial as soon as possible.
“Una, napakahalaga nito dahil, the first reason is to prevent more harm, further harm. Kung may ginagawa ang isang opisyal na nakakasama sa ating bayan…ay kailangan maprevent yung harm na kanyang ginagawa,” he said.
“Second is to uphold the rule of law. May Konstitusyon tayo. At ito po ay nasa loob ng ating Constitution, pino-provide po ito na pag sinabi ng Congressmen na one-third of all the members ay didiretso na sa Senado. One-third of all the members didiresto na sa Senado, why? Kasi representative ng taong bayan yung mga representatives sa Kongreso. Pag sinabing 215 na members of Congress, that is two-thirds of all the members of the House. So malaking obligasyon po yan. Kailangan nananaig sa atin ang rule of law, ang ating Constitution, ang pinaka-mataas na batas sa atin,” he said.
He said the third reason is to maintain public trust.
“Para palaging nagtitiwala ang taongbayan sa mga nanunungkulan. Dahil pag na-erode ang public trust walang gobyernong makakatayo. Ang pang-apat is to preserve institutional integrity. Kaya pag ganitong mga proseso, hindi po pwede na may delay, mga delaying tactics,” he said.
“Ang pang lima, is to set a precedent to deter future misconduct of high public officials. Para kung may hindi tamang ginagawa ay sana hindi na mangyari. Kaya napaka-importante po ang prosesong ito at dahil sa entry with motion to issue summons ay pasasagutin na ang ating Vice President in a period of 10 days from receipt in accordance with the impeachment rules of the Senate na hindi naman nila binabago hanggang ngayon,” he added.
