THE Senate’s mandate to promptly try Vice President Sara Duterte on impeachment charges comes not only from the Constitution but from the people themselves, according to Manila Rep. Joel Chua.
Chua, one of the 11 members of the House prosecution team, emphasized in a radio interview that the Senate does not need to wait for a special session call from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before convening as an impeachment court.
In a radio interview, Chua, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, also said he believes the Senate does not have to await a special session call from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. and can convene on its own as an impeachment court and begin hearing the charges against the Vice President.
Asked about the stand of Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero that the trial would start in July after the convening of the 20th Congress, the House prosecution panel member said they respect Escudero’s opinion.
“But kami nga po ang stand po kasi namin dito dapat ay agaran na po ‘yung pag-try ng impeachment dahil ito po ay inu-utos po ng ating Saligang Batas. Alam po ninyo, ang Saligang Batas po kasi ito po ay hindi ordinaryong batas,” Chua told Bantay Balita sa Kongreso hosted by Isa Avendaño-Umali and Nimfa Ravelo over Super Radyo dzBB.
“Ito po ang basic law of the land. At ang author po nito ay ang sambayanang Pilipino. Makikita po natin ‘yan sa preamble, ‘with the Filipino people employing the aid of the almighty God.’ So ibig sabihin po niyan ang author ng Saligang Batas ay ang Pilipino. So ang ibig sabihin ang nagsasabi po na ito po ay dapat simulan na agad ay ang sambayanang Pilipino, base po sa ating Constitution,” he stressed.
As to the calling of a special session by the President so the Senate can convene as an impeachment court, Chua said, “Ako po with all due respect, hindi po ako naninawala na kailangan po ng Presidente para ipatawag ang special session.”
“Bakit po? Kasi mismo ang Saligang Batas na ang nagsasabi, (trial) ‘shall forthwith (proceed).’ So ibig sabihin shall forthwith proceed. But sinasabi rin po ni (former) Senate President (Franklin) Drillon na even without, kung tama po ang pag-kakaintindi ko, parang sinasabi niya the Senate itself, e pupwede po mag-convene para po dito sa impeachment proceeding,” he said.
He reiterated his emphasis on the unequivocal language of the Constitution.
“Nakalagay po dun na immediately, o forthwith yung word na ginamit, ‘shall forthwith proceed’ with the impeachment (trial). So ibig sabihin po dito, ito po ay inu-utos ng ating Saligang Batas. Kaya ako po na niniwala na hindi naman kailangan po na ito ay naka-session, para po mag-proceed ng impeachment (trial),” he said.
Chua refuted Escudero’s claims that the House sat on the impeachment complaints for two months, and that now, congressmen are growing impatient with the alleged trial’s delay and are raring to start prosecuting the Vice President.
He explained the context of the filing of the fourth impeachment petition, signed by 215 House members, with the Senate hours before the adjournment of session for the long election-related recess last February 5.
“Alam po ninyo, iba po kasi ang situation ng House, iba ang situation ng Senado. Kasi ang House po, ito po ang magpa-file ng impeachment complaint. So ibig sabihin kung ang ipa-file mo naman na impeachment complaint ay mahina, ay bakit ka pa magpa-file, mag-establish ng reklamo?” he asked.
“Kaya kami po, bago po ‘yan ifinile, ‘yung fourth impeachment complaint, is sinigurado po muna ng House na yung ipa-file namin ay solido ang ebidensya. At saka syempre tinignan din po namin na hindi po kami lalabag, ‘yun sa tinatawag namin natin na one-year ban,” he said.
“So ang Senate po kasi ang situation po nila iba, ‘yan po ay i-hear lang po kung ano ang na-filed. So kami po ang mag-establish ng impeachment complaint. So sila po, i-hear lang po nila, ay mas mahirap po mag-establish,” he said.
The Manila lawmaker pointed out that if they filed a useless impeachment petition, the Senate impeachment court would just dismiss it.
“Kasi kung ipa-file po namin ay useless na kaso, e di madi-dismiss lang po ito, hindi namin mapapatunayan. Kasi po ‘yung pag-aaral po na gagawin nila is base po sa hearing kung ano po ‘yung ebidensya na ma-ipapalabas po namin o ma-ipipresinta,” he said.
Chua said the first impeachment complaint filed with the House contained 23 charges against the Vice President.
“Pag ‘yun po ang isinampa po namin sa committee on justice, tapos na po ang 19th Congress hindi pa po namin tapos ‘yung hearing. Chances are tatamaan ng one-year ban.’Yung pangalawa at pangatlo naman po, sobrang iksi naman po yung impeachment (complaint),” he said.
“Kaya po itong pinag-usapan po ng mga ibang congressman, ng mga kongressista, ng mga party leader na kung magpa-file, kailangan ‘yung solido at ‘yung maganda, ‘yung napag-aralan talaga. Kasi po ang magiging problema po natin dyan, pag nag-file po tayo ng useless din, ay sayang rin lang po ‘yung oras natin pare-pareha, at tsaka ‘yung pera po ng taong bayan,” he said.
This situation prompted majority of House members to prepare and file the fourth impeachment petition, he added.
“Now, ito po ang na-filed na po to, ito po ay pitong article lang at ang nilalaman po na ito ay very solid po. At saka napakahirap po talagang mag-decision sa (House), kasi tatlong daan mahigit po ang kongresista para mapagkaisahan po, ‘yung talagang masasabi po natin, na katanggap-tanggap na impeachment complaint,” he stressed.
Regarding Escudero’s suggestion that House prosecution team should start to prepare instead of complaining about the trial’s delay, Chua said, “Well sa ngayon po ‘yung ginagawa po natin, naghahanda rin po kami at hindi naman po kami titigil, kami lang po ay sinasabi lang po namin kung ano po yung nasa Constitution.”
On the statement of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel lll that the Senate is capable of starting VP Duterte’s trial next month instead of in July, Chua said, “Sila po mismong senador hindi sila magkasundo. Pero kami po, ulitin ko po ah hindi po namin inupuan. Ito po ay pinag-aralan at ang lumabas nga po dito ay ‘yung impeachment complaint na katanggap-tanggap po sa mga kongresista dahil napakarami po namin.”
Chua also said he and his House colleagues were surprised by Vice President Duterte’s filing of a petition asking the Supreme Court to stop her Senate trial and questioning the impeachment process in the House.
He expressed confidence that the high court would just dismiss the petition.
“Well, nagtataka nga po kami kung bakit po sila nag-file nito samantala noong una ang sinasabi nila na parang balewala at kaya po nila at handa po silang harapin ang impeachment complaint. At sinasabi nga po dati ng ating Bise-Presidente na i-file nyo na ‘yan, dahil masimula na ‘yan,” he said.
“Kaya nga po nagtataka kami kung bakit po nila ginawa ‘yun. In any event ay kami naman po, handa naman po kami kung sa magiging outcome. Pero ako po na naniniwala na ito po finile nila na petition ay hindi po mabibigyan ng bearing. Wala pong timbang, hindi mananalo,” Chua said.
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