VP Sara back in Netherlands to visit dad Duterte, Imee in tow

Vice President Sara Duterte is now in the Netherlands, ahead of the impeachment trial against her.

According to Maki Pulido’s report in “24 Oras” on Thursday, Duterte arrived in Amsterdam on Wednesday, accompanied by Senator Imee Marcos, who will be one of the senator-judges at her trial.

Her office had earlier announced her schedule this week, which included a trip to the Netherlands to once again visit her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

She is also scheduled to celebrate her 47th birthday on Saturday together with Filipino Duterte supporters in front of the ICC.

While the vice president is abroad, the Senate is busy preparing for the trial, with the rooms already prepared and the robes for the senator-judges already measured.

The reading of the articles of impeachment against the Vice President had originally been scheduled for June 2, when she would have still been in Europe. On Thursday, Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero announced that the reading has been postponed to June 11.

The trial will be held at the Senate’s session hall with the gallery open to the media and members of the public.

The witness stand that had been used during the impeachment trial of President Joseph Estrada in 2000 has been brought out of the museum to be used again. 

The Senate of the 19th Congress will adjourn on June 13. The 20th Congress will then convene on July 28, the day of the President's State of the Nation Address.

Senator-elect Vicente "Tito" Sotto III has questioned whether the impeachment is transferrable to the 20th Congress.

In response, House prosecutor Lorenz Defensor likened the impeachment trial to a regular trial, saying, "Once a case is filed with the trial court, the judge may retire, the judge may get promoted, but the case stays on with the trial court. Hindi nadi-dismiss ang kaso just because napalitan ang mga judges [The case is not dismissed just because the judges are replaced]."

For his part, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said, “Yung prinsipyo kasi ng Senate is a continuing body, kaya merong 12-12. Twelve ang incumbent katulad ko, may 12 na bago. So continuing body siya, so 'yang principle na 'yan, tingin ko ma-a-apply 'yan sa mga ganitong situation, tulad ng impeachment.” 

(The principle of the Senate is that it is a continuing body, that’s why there’s 12-12. There’s 12 incumbents like me and 12 others who are new. So it’s a continuing body and that principle will apply in this kind of situation like the impeachment.) 

Senator Joel Villanueva also said that an impeachment court is still functional regardless if there are changes in members. 

He added that the vice president could question this before the Supreme Court, noting that the senators can discuss the matter next month. 

“I think the SP is looking forward to having a caucus before the opening,” said Villanueva. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BM, GMA Integrated News