THE House impeachment prosecution panel is not pressuring the Senate but is merely fulfilling its constitutional duty, Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan of the 4Ps Party-list clarified on Tuesday.
“We are not pressuring (the Senate), we are doing our job. Sabi ko nga kanina, gusto rin namin mangampanya pero kami naman ang magkakaroon ng culpable violation of the Constitution ‘pag hindi namin ginawa ang aming tungkulin,” Libanan said in a press conference Tuesday.
Libanan noted that the Senate was still conducting business during its break.
“Sinasabi nila baka hindi sila makapagtrabaho dahil break na ‘yung Senado. Pero apparently, nagkaroon po sila ng hearing last Thursday noong committee ni Senadora Imee [Marcos]. Ibig sabihin, nagtatrabaho pa rin po ang Senado,” he noted.
The prosecution team filed the Entry with Motion to Issue Summons to compel Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte to respond to the Articles of Impeachment filed against her by the House of Representatives last Feb. 5.
Libanan said their filings are “in accordance with their rules of procedure sa impeachment proceedings ng Senado na pag mayroong i-file ay within ten days bibigyan ng pagkakataon ang officer who is being sought to be impeached to answer in a period of ten days.”
Commenting on the statement of Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero that he would refer the prosecution’s motions to the Senate legal team, Libanan, “Alam niyo, lahat po kami ay sumusunod, lahat po tayo ay dapat sumunod sa Constitution.”
“Kung sinasabi ng Constitution that the proceeding shall start forthwith, e kailangan sumunod kami. Otherwise ‘pag hindi kami sumunod, kami na ang nagba-violate ng ating Constitution. So kahit anong ginagawa po namin dahil napakahalaga ng proseso nito ay kailangan sumunod po kami sa ating pinaka-fundamental law,” he said.
“At ‘yun po ang lahat ng oath of office namin ay based doon sa ating Constitution at gagampanan namin na walang anumang pasubali o hangaring umiwas ang aming mga sinumpaang katungkulan,” he said.
Libanan reiterated the sense of urgency in the language of the Constitution on impeachment trial – that it should proceed “forthwith” if an impeachment complaint is filed by at least one-third of all members of the House of Representatives.
The complaint against the Vice President was signed by 215 House members, more than two-thirds of the 306-strong larger chamber of Congress.
“Anong ibig sabihin ng forthwith? Right away without delay. Kami naman po sa 11-man prosecution team we have to follow this, that we have to assume our duties and responsibilities para gampanan po namin,” the House Minority Leader said.
“Medyo gusto rin naming mangampanya, mag-break, ganun din, pero because of this provision of the Constitution, wala kaming magagawa eh. Pero kung ano ang interpretation nila sabi ko nga, basahin natin siguro. Pero nirerespeto natin may tinatawag tayong inter-parliamentary courtesy. Taong bayan na po magde-desisyon diyan at..may Supreme Court naman po tayo sana madesisyunan po ito,” he said.
He said he expected senators to discuss the pleadings the prosecution panel filed.
“Iyung pagkakaisahan po nila, iyun po ang puwedeng maging direksyon. So alam niyo napaka beterano rin lalo na ang ating SP Chiz Escudero, is a veteran lawmaker. Alam niya po ang prosesong ito. Pero pag-uusapan iyan nila, ang tingin ko po ang Senate President hindi naman siya magdedesisyon alone in this matter. Napakahalaga, alam nila yung kahalagahan po nito. Kaya mag-uusap-usap sila bilang isang Senado,” he added.
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