Palace hopes Senate will listen to business groups on VP Sara trial

Malacañang on Wednesday expressed hope that the Senate would listen to the call of business groups to proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in the interest of the Philippine economy.

While reiterating that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will not intervene in the impeachment trial, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said business groups know what's best for the country's economy, so senators should also listen to their sentiments. 

"Muli, ulitin natin, hindi po kasi manghihimasok ang Pangulo sa proseso sa Senado patungkol po sa impeachment trial. Pero kung iyan po ang nakikita po ng mga nagnenegosyo, investors natin sa Pilipinas, eksperto sila sa mga ganitong bagay, kung ano ang mas makakabuti sa ekonomiya," Castro said in a press briefing. 

(May I repeat, the President will not intervene in the process of the Senate with regard to the impeachment trial. But, if that's what businessmen and investors see... [it should be recognized that] they are experts in this field and know what's best for our economy.) 

"So, tandaan natin, ang sabi lamang po ng Pangulo, sundin ang Konstitusyon at ang Rule of Law. So, kung pagpapabilis sa impeachment trial at iyon ang nakikita ng business sector, sana bigyan din po ito ng pansin ng Senado," she added.

(So, let's remember, the President said the Constitution and the Rule of Law must be followed. So, if the business sector sees the need to fast track the impeachment trial, we hope the Senate would pay attention to them.)

Earlier, the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) expressed its concern over the decision of the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, to return the articles of impeachment against Duterte back to the House of Representatives.

"By allowing the trial to proceed, the Senate would affirm its commitment to transparency, accountability, and other principles of Good Governance  — giving the prosecution a fair chance to present its case and the defense a full opportunity to respond and clear the respondent’s name," the MAP said.

"We believe that this matter goes beyond politics — it is fundamentally about Good Governance and the Rule of Law," the MAP said in a statement. 

In a separate statement, the Makati Business Club said the impeachment trial was a governance issue and a test of public accountability, as well as the Rule of Law.

"If we do not follow the rule of law, how can we expect to attract foreign and even local investors to bring in long term investments, which would lead to the creation of jobs?" the MBC asked. 

"The impeachment trial is meant to present evidence to determine if the charges against the Vice President have basis or not. The Senators, individually, and the Senate, as an institution, will betray public trust and not provide the Vice President with the forum to refute charges if they do not proceed with the impeachment trial," it added.

Duterte was impeached by the House on February 5 with more than 200 congressmen endorsing the verified complaint against her.

The Vice President stands accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. She has since denied the allegations.

The Senate had returned the impeachment complaint against the Vice President back to the House of Representatives, but without dismissing or terminating the Articles of Impeachment.

The motion was approved with 18 affirmative, five negative votes, and zero abstentions. — VDV, GMA Integrated News