Rules on impeachment trial out by June — Senate spox

The set of rules that will govern the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is expected to be released upon resumption of session in June, according to Senate spokesperson Arnel Bañas.

“Yun pong rules ng impeachment, ang wari ko po ito po ay madedesisyunan na po ngayong Hunyo at mapa-publish na po ito para malaman ng sambayanan, ng ating both prosecutor and defense, ‘yung rules and regulations na susundin para sa impeachment ng ating Bise Presidente,” Bañas said in an interview over Super Radyo dzBB.

(The rules of impeachment, I think, will be decided this June and will be published so that the public, the prosecutor and defense would know the rules and regulations to be followed during the impeachment [trial] of our Vice President.)

Earlier, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said there will be no changing of rules in the impeachment trial of Duterte, but he noted the need to adopt the new mechanisms that the regular courts have implemented to expedite proceedings.

Meanwhile, Bañas said the scheduled reading of the Articles of Impeachment on June 2 would be the first time in history.

“Kasi iniisip ko ‘yung impeachment ni President Erap (Joseph Ejercito Estrada) at ni dating Chief Justice [Renato] Corona, wala akong natatandaan na binasa ang articles of impeachment sa Senado e. Parang ito yata yung unang pagkakataon na pupunta ang prosecution panel para basahin ang Articles of Impeachment,” he said.

(During the impeachment [trials] of President Estrada and Chief Justice Corona, I don’t recall any reading of the Articles of Impeachment at the Senate. I think this is the first time the prosecution panel will read the Articles of Impeachment.)

In his letter to the House of Representatives, Escudero explained the need to read the articles of impeachment during the plenary session to prompt the convening of the Senate as an impeachment court.

“The reading of the Articles of Impeachment in plenary by the prosecutors is stated in our rules. And then the Senate can take cognizance of it, and that will now be used as the basis to convene the impeachment court,” Escudero said in his letter.

Once the senators take the task to proceed with the impeachment trial, Bañas said they would need to balance their time to ensure that they will not neglect their duties as lawmakers.

“Tuloy-tuloy po yung tungkulin ng mga senador upang magbalangkas ng mga batas at pag-usapan ang mga dapat pag-usapan,” he said.

(The duty of the senators to craft laws and discuss what needs to be discussed will go on.)

According to Bañas, the senators are expected to sit in the impeachment court at 9 a.m. then proceed with the plenary sessions at 3 p.m.

Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, with over 200 congressmen endorsing the complaint against her. She was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

Escudero earlier released an initial timetable for the procedures related to the impeachment trial of Duterte with the tentative start of the trial on July 30.

The Vice President, for her part, said she is looking forward to her impeachment trial in the upcoming 20th Congress because she “wants a bloodbath,'' noting that her legal team is on "full throttle" in their preparations. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News