Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on Thursday, June 12, that only the Supreme Court can determine whether returning the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives is unconstitutional.
Escudero expressed his stance as he announced that the House has yet to confirm acceptance of the Articles of Impeachment, which the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, had remanded to the lower chamber.
This, after the House certified on Wednesday night (June 11) that Duterte’s impeachment complied with the 1987 Constitution. However, it deferred the acceptance of the document until the Senate impeachment court addressed its questions regarding the return process.
Escudero reiterated that all communications regarding the impeachment trial should be done through pleadings rather than social media.
“Ulitin ko, impeachment court ang magpapasya n’yan, pero dalawa ang kautusan ng impeachment court,” Escudero said in an ambush interview in Malolos, Bulacan.
“Hindi lamang ‘yung attestation ng pagtupad doon sa certification sa pagtupad sa one-year ban na provision ng konstitusyon, pero pati ‘yung attestation na interesado pa rin sila sa pagbubukas ng bagong Kongreso na ipurusigi ang kaso dahil nga dun pa lamang magsisimula ang paglilitis,” Escudero pointed out.
“Yun ang pasya ng impeachment court. Bilang mga taga-usig, dapat nilang galangin at sundin ‘yun. Kapareho din sa parte ni VP Sara, dapat galangin at sundin din ‘yung summons na in-issue ng impeachment court,” he pointed out.
Eighteen senators on Tuesday, June 10, voted to remand the Articles of Impeachment back to the House “without dismissing nor terminating the case” after the Senate formally convened into an impeachment court.
But vis-à-vis the remanding of the Articles of Impeachment, the Senate impeachment court also issued a writ of summons to Duterte ordering her to answer the complaint against her.
She was given a non-extendible period of 10 days to answer the complaint, in accordance with Article 7 of the impeachment rules.
Escudero also refused to comment over House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s remark that what the senator-judges did was deeply concerning.
The Senate leader also said that only the impeachment court can say what could be the possible effects of the House’s move on the Articles of Impeachment. (Hannah Torregoza)
