Sara Duterte defends Escudero: ‘Hindi natatakot ‘yun’

Vice President Sara Duterte has defended Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero from criticisms that he is supposedly afraid of her, that is why there have been delays in the impeachment proceedings. 

“Well, sa pagkakilala ko naman kay Senate President Chiz Escudero ay hindi natatakot ‘yun,” Duterte said in an ambush interview in The Hague, Netherlands on June 3, Tuesday. 

(Well, knowing Senate President Chiz Escudero, he is not afraid of anyone.) 

“We do not remember him, I do not know him na natatakot na klase na politiko. So hindi ko lang alam saan nanggagaling ‘yung sinasabi na takot si Senator Chiz Escudero. Hindi ko alam saan galing ‘yan,” she added. 

(We do not remember him, I don't know him as the kind of politician who gets scared. So I don't know where the claims are coming from saying that Senator Chiz Escudero is afraid of me. I don't know where that came from.) 

It was Akbayan party-list Representative Perci Cendaña, who earlier asked if the Senate President is afraid of Duterte.

Cendaña, who endorsed the first impeachment complaint against the Vice President in the House of Representatives, had stressed that convening the Senate as an impeachment court is "a solemn constitutional duty, not a seasonal accessory you put on or discard depending on the political weather, or one’s personal agenda." 

Escudero had called Cendaña’s allegations as a “bait” question.

"Pain naman ang tanong na 'yun. Ginagawa namin kung ano ang trabaho namin. 'Yung mga ganyang uri ng komentaryo at pain, uulitin ko—du'n sa mga ayaw kay VP Sara at pabor sa impeachment, do'n sa mga gusto kay VP Sara at tutol sa impeachment—walang bale sa akin 'yun," Escudero said in an ambush interview on Tuesday.

(That's a bait question. We just do our jobs. That kind of comment and bait, I'll repeat—for those who don't like VP Sara and are in favor of impeachment, and for those who like VP Sara and are against impeachment—it doesn't matter to me.) 

Escudero denies

In an interview with GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita on Wednesday, Escudero denied that he was afraid and protecting Duterte from impeachment.

“Hindi. Siguro sa tinagal-tagal ko sa pamahalaan at paninilbihan sa publiko, kailanman hindi ako nagpasya base sa takot. Pero kailanman din hindi ako naging tagasunod ninuman,” he said. 

(No. In my long time in government and public service, I have never made a decision based on fear. But also I have never been anyone’s follower.)

“At kung 'yang mga mambabatas na 'yan ay tagasunod ng [Speaker Martin Romualdez] na gustong i-impeach si Vice President Sara, hindi ho ako kasama sa listahang 'yun,” he added.

(And if those lawmakers are followers of House Speaker Martin Romualdez who wants to impeach Vice President Sara, I am not on that list.) 

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.

On February 25, Escudero said the processes related to Duterte's impeachment trial would start on June 2.

However, Escudero on May 29 said the presentation of the articles of impeachment before the Senate was moved to June 11 to prioritize the passage of the items in the administration's legislative agenda before the end of 19th Congress. 

Escudero said that based on the law, Duterte will be given 10 days or up to June 21 to respond, which could be extended upon her request. 

The 19th Congress is set to end on June 30.

Senator Francis Tolentino on Monday said the impeachment case against Duterte will be considered “functionally dismissed” if the Senate impeachment court is unable to finish the trial before June 30.

Asked if Duterte’s impeachment trial is considered dead or will be pushed through in the 20th Congress, Escudero said the senators will vote on the matter. 

“Magkaiba ang opinyon ng mga senador dyan…'Yang bagay na 'yan malamang pagbobotohan namin bago namin talakayin 'yung impeachment kung saan malayang makakapagsalita at debate ang mga miyembro ng Senado kaugnay nyan,” he said. 

(The senators have different opinions on that…We will probably vote on that matter before we discuss the impeachment where the members of the Senate can freely speak and debate on that.)

Duterte was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

The Vice President has denied the allegations. —AOL, GMA Integrated News