SolGen to comment on call to start VP Sara’s impeachment trial —Chiz

The Senate will leave it to the Office of the Solicitor General to comment on the petition seeking to compel the upper chamber to begin the trial on the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte immediately. 

“Ni-refer namin ang bagay na ‘yan sa Solicitor General's office. Bilang abogado na tumatayo sa  pamahalaan, SolGen ang sasagot, SolGen ang a-appear, SolGen ang magha-handle ng kaso para sa Senado,” said Senate President Francis Escudero in a press conference on Wednesday. 

(We referred the matter to the Solicitor General’s office. As the legal counsel of the government, the SolGen will be the one to respond, appear, and handle the case on behalf of the Senate.) 

“Bagaman may draft na pinrepare ang legal bilang advisory sa akin, ifo-forward din namin sa SolGen ‘yan, but only for their information and consideration. It’s the SolGen that will appear before the Supreme Court on behalf of the Senate. I’ve requested already the SolGen to make that representation before the Supreme Court on behalf of the Senate,”  he added. 

(Although a draft was prepared by our legal team as an advisory for me, we will also forward that to the SolGen but only for their information and consideration.) 

SC spokesperson Camille Ting on Tuesday said that the High Court has required the Senate to comment on the petition within a non-extendible period of 10 days upon receipt from notice. She added that the petition was treated as “urgent.” 

"I can't say what the SC en banc, what they deliberated on, specifically the reason for the urgency. But impeachment is a nationwide concern that will be treated with urgency because of the gravity of the matter," Ting said in a press briefing.

The Senate adjourned its sessions last February 5 without tackling the impeachment complaint endorsed by over 200 members of the House of Representatives and transmitted to the Senate on the same day.

But Escudero said then that the Senate would not rush Duterte’s impeachment trial. 

Meanwhile, the Vice President has already filed a petition with the Supreme Court challenging the validity and constitutionality of the fourth impeachment complaint against her.

While preparations are already ongoing, Escudero said there is no clamor for the immediate convening of the impeachment court.

“I don't define that as clamor. There are people asking for it. Saang libro naman sinabing naging clamor na 'yung isang kaso? May nakalagay ba sa depinisyon ng clamor ang dapat limang kaso o sampung kaso, labinlimang kaso, dalawampung kaso bago maging clamor? Iisa pa lang 'yung kaso eh, ang sumusulat sa akin tatlo pa lang,” he said in the presser. 

(I don’t define that as clamor. There are people asking for it. Which book has stated that one case can be considered a clamor? Is it within the definition of clamor that there should be five, ten, fifteen, or twenty cases before you can say there is really such a clamor? There is one case and three people have sent me a letter.) 

"Pangalawa, magbalik-tanaw tayo sa panahon ni Hesus, may clamor na i-pako siya sa krus, eh hindi naman ibig sabihin nun totoo at tama 'yun," Escudero added. 

(Secondly, let’s go back to the time of Jesus, there was a clamor to crucify him on the cross, but it doesn’t mean that it’s true and right.) — BM, GMA Integrated News