Risa: Fighting spirit higher after return of VP Sara impeach case to House

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday said the minority would continue fighting for justice in the impeachment proceedings of Vice President Sara Duterte, following the decision of the Senate to return the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives.

In an ambush interview, Hontiveros admitted that she was "disappointed" at the turn of events on Tuesday night, when the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, voted 18-5 to bring Duterte's case back to the lower chamber without dismissing or terminating it.

"Mixed feelings, pero lalo lang tumaas 'yung fighting spirit ko. Kaya ano pa man ang nangyari at 'di nangyari hanggang kahapon, tuloy ang laban para sa hustisya," she said. 

(I had mixed feelings, but my fighting spirit only increased. So no matter what happened and didn't happen until yesterday, the fight for justice continues.) 

"Basta't ako, kami sa minority, and I suppose kaming lima na bumoto ng 'no' na i-remand 'yung articles of impeachment sa House, gagawa at gagawa pa rin kami ng mga hakbang para isulong ito, i-counteract 'yung pagpapaatras na sinusubukan gawin," she added.

(For me, my colleagues in the minority, and I suppose the five of us who voted 'no' to remand the articles of impeachment to the House, we will continue to take steps to proceed with this, to counteract the attempts to push it back.) 

Aside from Hontiveros, Senator-judges Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, and Sherwin Gatchalian voted against the return of Duterte's case to the House. 

Those who voted for it were: Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero, Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, Robin Padilla, Bong Go, Francis Tolentino, Imee Marcos, Cynthia Villar, Mark Villar, Jinggoy Estrada, JV Ejercito, Bong Revilla, Joel Villanueva, Lito Lapid, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Raffy Tulfo, and Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri. 

Gaslighting?

Hontiveros also floated the possibility that there has always been a plan to return Duterte's impeachment case back to the lower chamber.

She also said it seemed there was a "gaslighting" that happened last night and senator-judges supposedly used different words to cause confusion.

"Well, lumalabas na may ganoong plano, whether how long ago it was or how recently it was, nag-materialize du'n sa proposed motion nila na babala na namin ni Senator-Judge Pimentel. Masyadong maraming dangerous words subject to interpretation at saka ambiguity," she explained. 

(Well, it appears that there was such a plan, whether how long ago it was or how recently it was, that materialized in their proposed motion that Senator-Judge Pimentel and I have already warned. There are too many dangerous words subject to interpretation and ambiguity.) 

Hontiveros also said she has no idea if any of her allies would go up to the Supreme Court following the recent developments, but stressed that for her, the real fight regarding the impeachment is at the Senate because it acts as the impeachment trial court. 

Right time

For his part, Gatchalian said he voted against the return of the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives because a trial would be the appropriate opportunity for both sides to present their legal arguments.

"Dapat pag-usapan 'to kung nag-umpisa na 'yung paglilitis o 'yung trial proper. May tamang panahon para pag-usapan 'to at 'pag nag-trial proper na, lahat ay makikita kung ano 'yung mga argumento. Magiging mas transparent at maintindihan ng taong bayan kung ano 'yung pinag-uusapan dahil mabibigyan ng pagkakataon 'yung prosecution team na ipakita 'yung mga kanilang argumento, mabibigyan din ng pagkakataon ang defense team para ipakita 'yung kanilang argumento," Gatchalian said in a Balitanghali interview. 

(This should be discussed when the trial proper begins. There is a right time to discuss this and when the trial proper starts, everyone will see what the arguments are. It will be more transparent and the people will understand what is being discussed because the prosecution and defense teams will each be given the opportunity to present their arguments.) 

"Pangalawa… sa Constitution wala kasing nakasaad doon na ibalik sa Kongreso. Walang ganyan na paraan sa ilalim ng ating Saligang Batas, ang sabi doon simple lang, 'pag tinransmit sa Senado, dapat magkaroon ng trial. So dito na sa trial pag-uusapan 'yung mga ganitong issue," he added. 

(Secondly… there is nothing stated in the Constitution that we can return the case to the House. The Constitution simply says that if the complaint was transmitted to the Senate, there must be a trial. So, these issues should be discussed in the trial.) 

Crossing Congress

Tolentino, who voted in favor of the return, maintained that Duterte's impeachment case cannot cross from the 19th Congress to the 20th Congress. 

"'Yung 'forthwith' ay command sa 19th Congress. Hindi po 'yun command sa 20th Congress. 'Yung salitang 'initiate' ay command din sa 19th Congress," he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview. 

(The word 'forthwith' is a command to the 19th Congress, not to the 20th Congress. While the word 'initiate' is also a command to the 19th Congress.) 

Article XI Section 3(4) of the 1987 Constitution states that: "In case the verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of all the Members of the House, the same shall constitute the Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed." 

Tolentino earlier 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, 2025. 

Escudero has repeatedly said the impeachment trial of Duterte would begin in the 20th Congress.

Duterte's camp, for its part, 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. — VDV, GMA Integrated News