Bato says Senate action showed impeachment rap ‘infirm’; Koko disappointed

The approved motion to return the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives, even without dismissing or terminating them, is a victory, Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa said Tuesday.

“Yes, the mere fact that the court approved the returning of articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives is a manifestation that they agree to my previous speech that the impeachment court is constitutionally infirm,” Dela Rosa told reporters.

The Senate had convened as an impeachment court earlier in the day, after the senators were sworn in as senator-judges and a day after Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero took his oath as the trial's presiding officer.

Duterte was impeached by the House in February, after 215 and eventually 240 House members signed a fourth impeachment complaint against her. 

Dela Rosa, a very close ally of the Duterte family, has moved to dismiss the impeachment complaint, saying that the House violated Article XI, Section 2, paragraph 5 of the Constitution which states, "No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year," with four separate impeachment complaints filed against Duterte.

Another ally of the Dutertes, Senator Imee Marcos, said that the impeachment of the Vice President does not aim for accountability but early disqualification.

“Ang uuwian [ng impeachment] ay disqualification. Tanggal sa opisina niya.Yun lang yun. Magpakatotoo tayo parang ito ay glorified, early disqualification. Seryosohin naman natin ang impeachment. Wag nating paglaruan ang saligang batas,” Marcos said in an ambush interview.

(The impeachment will lead to disqualification and removal from office. Let’s be real, this is like a glorified early disqualification. Let’s take the impeachment seriously.)

The senator also said that if the Vice President needs accountability, she can face the multiple charges filed against her by the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine National Police, and the Department of Justice, among others.
 
Marcos reiterated her position in questioning the validity of the impeachment complaint.

“Mas maigi isaayos na muna nila. Wala namang pagbabawal na magpila ulit ng impeachment complaint [It’s better that they iron it out first. No one’s saying they can’t file another impeachment complaint],” she said.

Disappointed

On the other hand, Senator Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III expressed disappointment with tonight’s outcome.

“Ako’y nalulungkot; may saving grace na lang tayo na may pinadala na summons [I’m disappointed, but we have a saving grace that a summons was issued],” he said, referring to the court's issuing a summons to Duterte, directing her to file her answers within 10 days.

He also noted that there is no concept of "return to sender" in legal proceedings, after the majority of senators moved to "remand" the impeachment complaint back to the House.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, while he voted against returning the complaint, said he respects the decision of the majority.

“But if you ask me, maganda sana na pag-uusapan yan during the trial proper kasi yun transparent at fair sa lahat. Hindi naman ibig sabihin kung pinakinggan na ito sa trial proper, matutuloy siya. Pwede rin siya ma-dismiss,” Gatchalian said.

(If you ask me, it would be good to discuss it during the trial proper because it would be transparent and fair to all. It does not mean that if you address it during the trial proper that the trial would continue. It could be dismissed.)

“Pero at least doon na natin napag-usapan. And yun yung proper procedure. Mag-convene na, magkaroon ng trial at ilalabas. Ako naniniwala ilalabas rin ng defense yan. So sana doon na pag-usapan,” he added.

(But at least we could discuss it there. And that is the proper procedure. To convene, to have a trial, and present it. And I believe the defense would do so. So it should be discussed there.)

With the motion to return the article of impeachment approved, there would be no more reading of the articles of impeachment by House prosecutors on Wednesday. — BM, GMA Integrated News