Senate ready for Corona impeachment

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate is now ready to act as an impeach court and start the impeachment trial for Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Hours after the complaint was transmitted to the Senate on Tuesday morning, the chamber immediately referred it to the committee on rules being headed by Majority Leader Vicente Sotto n III.

And on Wednesday, Sotto said he would file a motion to constitute the Senate in an impeachment court.

“I can file a motion tomorrow to constitute ourselves into an impeachment court to commence on January 16,” he told reporters.

And the senators who would sit as judges in trial could take their oaths on January 16.

Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile said the Senate should immediately constitute itself into an impeachment court so they could start issuing summons to the parties involved.

Once the impeachment process begins in January, Ernile said the Senate would start holding sessions in the morning to pave way for the impeachment trial in the afternoon.

Except for Wednesday, Sotto said the impeachment trial could be done four days in a week.

“Gagamitin namin yung rules of impeachment. We will start holding sessions in the morning in January and impeachment in the afternoon at 2:00 para huwag nilang sabihing tamad kami ditto (We will use the rules of impeachment. We will start holding sessions in the morning in January and impeachment in the after at 2 pm so they cannot say that we are lazy),” Enrile said.

“We will not allow dilatory tactics,” he added.