Senate President Francis Escudero during the Kapihan sa Senado forum on December 5, 2024. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Why would the Senate be pressed to immediately act on the Articles of Impeachment filed against Vice President Sara Duterte when the House of Representatives took more than two months to act on it?
Senate President Francis Escudero blurted out this question when he was asked on Thursday to explain why the Senate did not immediately act on the Articles of Impeachment upon their arrival in the Senate on Wednesday afternoon.
At the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Escudero pointed out that the impeachment complaints were stuck in the House for more than two months for these to be thoroughly checked by lawmakers.
Escudero was pertaining to the first three impeachment complaints filed in the House last December. The fourth complaint against Duterte was only initiated, passed, and transmitted to the Senate on February 5.
“For more than two months, it was not forwarded by the Secretary General to the Speaker’s office for it to be referred to the plenary and the committee of justice. Their rooms are just beside each other, like in the Senate. Why would then we be pressed to immediately act on this just within hours?” he said in Filipino.
“If they slacked off while doing this, maybe they don’t have a reason to rush us, especially since the document was transmitted to us on the last day of the session around 5:00 p.m.,” he added.
Escudero also assured the public that the Senate would stay committed to fulfilling its mandate even if the chamber is in recess, explaining that they would use this time to review the Senate’s rules regarding impeachment since it needs an update.
“Maybe it’s not right and just, after they sat on this for how many months, for them to force and tell us: ‘Hey, fast track the process.’ No. It’s not like that. I won’t agree to that,” he said in Filipino.
“The impeachment process, for me, is not important. It’s not important if one is to be convicted or acquitted. What’s important for me as the Senate president is for the proceedings to be done according to the law, for it to be credible and believable; and to render justice whether or not it is favorable to what the majority wants,” he added.
The Senate on Wednesday adjourned its session without tackling the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.
The document was received by Senate Secretary Renato Bantug at 5:49 p.m. but it was not reported to the plenary before it adjourned shortly before 7:00 p.m.
READ: VP Sara Duterte impeachment complaint reaches Senate