THE Senate should issue a writ of summons to Vice President Sara Duterte immediately to accelerate the impeachment process and allow both sides to complete their pleadings before the trial begins in June, according to House Prosecutor Lorenz R. Defensor of Iloilo’s 3rd District.
“We want them to issue it now. It will expedite the process lalo na pagdating sa mga pleadings na pina-file,” Defensor said during an interview Wednesday on ANC’s Headstart hosted by Karen Davila.
The House panel earlier filed a motion before the Senate, which is sitting as an Impeachment Court, seeking the issuance of a writ of summons to compel the Vice President to respond to the verified impeachment complaint transmitted by the House.
The move is anchored on Rule 7 of the Senate Rules of Impeachment, which provides a non-extendible 10-day deadline for the impeached official to file an answer.
“We have seen how the Senate works very hard. Even during their break, they can conduct committee hearings. Some of them even during the campaign period are still working,” Defensor said.
“And remember that if you conduct a legislative inquiry, it should be in aid of legislation. So somehow, the Senate is functioning, and we do not see any reason why we should delay an impeachment of a Vice President that involves national interests of utmost national significance,” he said.
“We want to speed up the process of the pleadings. Para pagdating ng kumpletong Senado ay ready for trial na tayong lahat with all the pleadings dispensed with,” Defensor added.
Defensor explained that the Senate can already act even if it has not formally convened as an Impeachment Court.
“We have existing Senate impeachment rules as of today because Senate Resolution No. 39, which is the Senate Rules on Impeachment that has been previously approved and published still subsists. It’s still in operation,” Defensor pointed out.
“So, if the Senate President as presiding judge will recognize that the rules are still valid, he can issue that summons against the Vice President so she can answer,” Defensor explained.
“Actually Karen, even the Senate rules acknowledge that the trial shall forthwith proceed. And under Rule 7 of the Senate Rules on Impeachment, dapat mag-issue na rin sila agad-agaran ng summons,” he maintained.
Defensor said an early summons would allow both parties to prepare more thoroughly.
“The difference is if the vice president files her answer within a non-extendable period of 10 days and it gives the prosecution time to also study her answer and her defenses,” Defensor said.
“It gives us time to file our reply based on Rule 7 of the Senate Rules of Impeachment to file our reply within an unextendible period of also five days. So puwede na naming parehong pag-aralan ang kaso para pagdating ng June, tapos na ito,” Defensor continued.
“We can proceed with the trial, mark our evidence, and the sooner that the vice president faces this trial, whether she will be convicted or acquitted, we can dispense with this and have national closure with respect to this impeachment case,” he said.
When asked whether the Senate must first convene formally as an Impeachment Court, he responded, “Well, let’s just say that as of now, we have a presiding judge in the Senate president.”
“So we will continue to push our position that way so that we can speed up this impeachment process,” Defensor said.
