SENATORS must give top priority to the issue of accountability in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte, Manila Rep. Joel Chua said, echoing calls from Caritas Philippines for an “immediate and impartial” trial.
Chua, who chairs the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability and is part of the House prosecution team, responded to the appeal made by Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, head of Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). Bagaforo emphasized that the case against Duterte is a matter of national concern requiring urgent attention.
He said Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), was right in its plea to senators.
“Tama po (sila). Dahil ang isyu dito is accountability. Ang pinag-uusapan po dito ay hindi po naming pare-parehas pera, pera po ng taong-bayan. Kaya ito po talaga ay dapat binibigyan po ng prayoridad ng ating mga mambabatas,” he said.
“In fact, kung titingnan po natin, no, sa ating Saligang Batas, kaya nga ginamit ‘yung mga salitang forthwith, ‘di ba…’yung paano ii-interpret itong forthwith, ibig sabihin agad- agad,” he said.
The impeachment prosecutor reiterated that the Senate’s mandate to “forthwith proceed” with VP Duterte’s trial comes not only from the Constitution but from the people who ratified the Charter.
“Ito pong nag-uutos nito, hindi lamang ang Saligang Batas, bagkus ang author ng ating saligang batas kung hindi ang mga Filipino people. Kaya nga makikita po ninyo sa ating Konstitusyon, pag binasa ninyo ‘yan, nakalagay sa preamble, ‘We the Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God’ at makikitanga po natin dito na talagang author ng ating Saligang Batas ay ang taong-bayan. Wala na pong iba,” he stressed.
For his part, Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V of La Union said he would leave to the Senate the issue of the urgency of the impeachment case.
“I’ve stated…nasabi ko nga, it is a leadership call. Sabi ko nga pag nasa Senado po ang bola. So, it’s a leadership call. I don’t want to comment sa mga ibat-ibang opinyon kasi marami pong legal opinyon, marami pong personal opinyon, samu’t saring opinyon na yung nalabas,” he said.
Caritas Philippines made its appeal to the Senate in a statement on Thursday.
“Once an impeachment complaint is filed, government institutions must act swiftly and decisively. Delays and hesitations in the process only weaken our democratic institutions and erode public trust in governance,” Bishop Bagaforo said.
The CBCP social action arm said wanted to emphasize that allegations of corruption, abuse of power, and negligence in public service must be pursued with the same rigor as any grave crime.
“Corruption is a moral and social evil that robs the people of justice and dignity. Just as we seek justice in cases of violence and crime, we must be relentless in holding our leaders accountable for betraying public trust,” Bishop Bagaforo said.
“We stand with every Filipino who seeks transparency and accountability. Now is the time for our leaders to prove that democracy works for the people, not for political convenience,” he said.
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