Escudero: No amount of signatures will force impeach trial while Senate in recess

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero maintained Wednesday that he will not lead the convening of the impeachment court while sessions in Congress are on break regardless of the amount of signatures gathered to call for the start of Vice President Sara Duterte's trial.

"No amount of signatures will amend the law nor convince me to violate it by convening the impeachment court during recess and without complying with the requisite conditions precedent," Escudero said in a text message to reporters.

"The law is not bendable and should not bow to anyone’s dictate simply because of their own desire, bias and timetable of wanting to rush the impeachment proceedings vs. VP Sara," he added.

Escudero was reacting to the People's Impeachment Movement (PIM) launched by various religious groups and sectoral representatives which seek to collect at least one million signatures until Pentecost Sunday on June 8 to show the public's call for the Vice President's immediate trial.

The group burned palm fronds symbolizing the Duterte family's alleged seven sins, including greed for power and wealth, sloth, and anger.

Catholic priest Fr. Flavie Villanueva, one of the priests supporting victims and kin of the Duterte administration's drug war, said the group believes that the impeachment trial should begin right away so that the Vice President would be made accountable for her alleged violations.

Escudero has been consistent that the Senate will only start the impeachment trial once the Senate is on session.  

He set the tentative start of the trial on July 30.

Escudero earlier said that he will proceed with the impeachment trial in accordance with the law, not because of the public clamor.

"Hindi kayang baguhin ng ingay mula sa anumang sektor o grupo yung nakasulat sa batas. Hindi namin babaguhin yun depende sa palakasan ng sigaw. Hindi naman ako si Andrew E. na sinong mas malakas, pinaka maingay. Di naman ako yun, so hindi ko trabaho yun," Escudero said.  

(The noise from any sector or group cannot change what is written in the law. We will not alter it based on how loud the shouting is. I'm not Andrew E., who is always asking who is the loudest among the crowd. That's not me, so that's not my job.)

"Ang sinasabi ng batas ay sinasabi ng batas, unless sabihan kami ng Korte Suprema sa mandamus petition na naka pending ngayon," he added.

(What the law states is what the law states, unless the Supreme Court orders us otherwise regarding the pending mandamus petition.)

The House impeached Duterte on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint. The Articles of Impeachment were transmitted to the Senate the same day, but the upper chamber adjourned without addressing the case.

Meanwhile, Duterte has filed a Supreme Court petition challenging the validity of the impeachment complaint.

Lawyers from Mindanao and other groups have also asked the SC to stop the trial, calling the complaint defective.

Another petition seeks to compel the Senate to convene as an impeachment court immediately. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News