Ejercito: Sereno impeach proceedings may sideline Senate priority bills

Sen. JV Ejercito / Photo from Sen. JV Ejercito’s Facebook

Sen. JV Ejercito is worried that several pending priority measures would be set aside once the impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is transmitted to the Senate.

“Kung matutuloy ang impeachment na maipapasa sa Senado, maraming trabaho ang mabibinbin,” Ejercito said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer on Tuesday.

(If the impeachment court will be transmitted to the Senate, many measures will be stalled.)

Ejercito, who chairs Senate committees on health and demography and urban planning, housing, and resettlement, said high-impact projects and measures such as the creation of the Department of Housing, the Universal Healthcare program and the granting of emergency powers to President Rodrigo Duterte would be all be stalled and set aside.

“Ang problema lang, talagang ang worry ko kapag ‘yan ay natuloy, about three to six months, we will function as an impeachment court, lahat ng aming priority meaures, lahat ng nabanggit ko kanina, lahat po ‘yan ay will be put on hold,” he added.

(The problem is, my real worry when it [impeachment] pushes through, we will function as an impeachment court for about three to six months, all our priority measures that I mentioned earlier, all of which will be put on hold.)

Ejercito said that it would be ideal if the measures would be passed before the Senate stands as an impeachment court because the lawmaking process is a “tedious” undertaking.

“Ang worry ko, in less than a year… alam mo naman kung gaano kahaba at tedious ang lawmaking, nanghihinayang ako kung saka-sakali mapuputol. Kaya sana bago magsimula ang impeachment process ay maipasa na natin itong mga legislation na ito,” he explained.

(My worry is, in less than a year… you know how long and tedious the lawmaking process is, it would be a waste if it would be interrupted. That’s why I hope before the impeachment process starts, all of these legislation will all be passed.)

The House committee on justice is currently hearing Attorney Larry Gadon’s impeachment complaint against Sereno, whom he accused of corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, and betrayal of public trust.

Gadon alleged that Sereno failed to disclose her real net worth, bought a luxury car using public funds, and pressured judges to defy the Duterte administration.

A vote of one-third of the 293 members of the House is required to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate, whose members will serve as judges in the trial. /jpv

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