Hold Senate caucus on impeach trial, Koko prods Chiz

MANILA, Philippines —  With the Senate leadership appearing to be unresponsive to his call for the immediate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III is now pushing for a caucus so his colleagues can discuss the issue further and clear out contentious matters.

At the Kapihan sa Senado forum yesterday, Pimentel said he is set to send another letter to Senate President Francis Escudero to formalize his proposal. In a previous letter, he asked Escudero to call for an immediate impeachment trial.

“It would be better if the Senate President calls for a caucus, because the senators were not properly consulted about this when the Articles of Impeachment were transmitted,” Pimentel said at the forum.

“He may even have the backing of the majority on his timetable. That’s why I am presenting an alternative point of view, which is the correct one,” he added.

Escudero wants the resumption of session in June devoted to pre-trial preparations, and for a full-blown trial to commence only during the 20th Congress or after President Marcos’ State of the Nation Address in July.

A caucus, Pimentel said, would be an opportunity for all senators to discuss their views on whether the Senate should convene as an impeachment court during the break or wait until the resumption of session in June.

Pimentel said the Senate is allowed to convene a session on its own for the purpose of impeachment, even without seeking permission from the President.

Pimentel said the backlash on the Senate for stalling the impeachment trial “is an unnecessary criticism just because it is not following what’s in the Constitution that trial should proceed forthwith.”

As for the reelectionist senators who may not approve of a trial because of the campaign period, Pimentel said being a senator-judge “is part of the job description.”

“They should set aside the campaign. Impeachment should be a priority,” Pimentel said.

“The House of Representatives already did overtime on this. It’s time for the Senate to do the same,” he added.

For former Senate president Franklin Drilon, President Marcos calling for a special session would the resolve the impasse on the impeachment trial of Duterte.

“We have seen the many questions without answers because of the circumstances that the Articles of Impeachment (filed against Duterte) were made on the last day of session. For me, the solution in all these is for the President to call for a special session so that the impeachment court will be created and there will be a trial forthwith. The Constitution said try the case forthwith,” Drilon said in an interview with “Storycon” on One News.

“The problem now is there is no impeachment court because the President is not calling for a special session and there is no session, there is no impeachment court. That is why there are many different opinions about this because there are circumstances that we only see now since Congress is in recess,” Drilon said.

Sotto: Senators want trial

In Dumaguete City, another former Senate president, Vicente Sotto III, said that contrary to Escudero’s claims, several senators actually want an impeachment trial of Duterte to proceed immediately.

“I talked to other senators, and they told me they want the trial to start soon, and not on June 2. Try to get the opinion of other senators also,” Sotto said, addressing Escudero, at a press briefing of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate.

“Seven senators are reelectionist and they will be campaigning. What better campaign, but to be on television every day, in the impeachment court? Nothing beats a telenovela that the whole country will watch,” Sotto said.

Also in Dumaguete, former senator Ping Lacson said “any impeachment trial is a serious and hard issue to undertake, and the Senate should not fall short of its responsibility and constitutional duty.”

“Once the Articles of Impeachment have been transmitted to the Senate, there is no other way but for them to take it up. The Constitution is clear that the trial ‘shall proceed forthwith,’” Lacson said.

Lacson said it would be practical for the Senate to carry over the impeachment proceedings to the next 20th Congress.

“Whether we like it or not, this will cross over to the 20th Congress. The trial cannot finish in just a week. There should be due process, otherwise it will be a kangaroo court,” Lacson said.

In a statement, House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro chided Escudero for delaying the impeachment trial of Duterte, reminding him that the impeachment process is a constitutional duty of the Senate and “not a cheering contest.”

“The convening of an impeachment court is not contingent on public clamor – it is a constitutional mandate. Senate President Escudero misses the point entirely when he asks ‘what clamor?’ This is not a cheering contest but a matter of constitutional duty,” Castro said.

Castro pointed out that the urgency to convene an impeachment court has become even more critical in light of Duterte’s recent moves to halt the proceedings through “questionable legal tactics.”

“The fact that the Vice President is working to stop the convening of the impeachment court makes our call all the more important. The Senate should all the more fulfill this duty. Further delays might benefit the impeached VP, who is exploring various legal remedies to halt the trial,” Castro said.

In an interview with state-run Radyo Pilipinas, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, meanwhile, said a review of the country’s past experiences with impeachment proceedings would provide enlightenment to clashing schools of thought. – Jose Rodel Clapano, Delon Porcalla, Alexis Romero