Sara Duterte questions impeachment case crossing over to 20th Congress

Vice President Sara Duterte is questioning whether the articles of impeachment filed against her in the Senate in the 19th Congress may be taken up by the chamber sitting as an impeachment court in the 20th Congress.

“Kinu-question din namin ‘yan, ‘yung pag-crossover from the 19th to the 20th Congress,” Duterte said in an interview in The Hague, Netherlands on June 3, Tuesday.

(We’re also questioning the crossover of the trial from the 19th to 20th Congress.) 

She, however, refrained from expounding the matter, saying that she would leave it up to her legal team.

“‘Yung lawyers ko na lang magsalita kasi papagalitan na naman ako nila. Papagalitan na naman ako no’n, ‘yung mga lawyers ko. So tanong natin ‘yung lawyers,” she added.

(I’ll let my lawyers talk about that. They will scold me again if I answer, so let’s ask my lawyers.) 

On Wednesday, Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa said that he was behind a resolution on the dismissal of the impeachment case against Sara Duterte.

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero last week announced that the reading of the impeachment raps would be postponed from June 2 to June 11.

The 19th Congress will adjourn sine die on June 14.

The Vice President went to The Hague to visit her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained in the Scheveningen Prison for charges of crimes against humanity for the extrajudicial killings during his administration’s war on drugs.

While in the Netherlands, Sara Duterte admitted that she was not able to monitor the developments regarding the impeachment proceedings in the Philippines due to the time difference.

“Pero ang pagkakaintindi ko ay maraming procedural lapses na nangyayari na labag sa Constitution,” she added.

(But as far as I understand, there are many procedural lapses happening that are against the Constitution.)

Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers 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. –NB, GMA Integrated News