Dela Rosa to seek Senate vote on whether impeach trial of VP Sara should proceed

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Wednesday vowed to seek a Senate vote on whether the Senate should convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“Siguro ang pinakaunang motion ko (My first motion) is to determine whether or not the Senate of the 20th Congress is willing to be bound by the actions of the previous Senate. 'Yun lang ang tanungin ko para masettle natin 'yung issue on jurisdiction (That will be my only question to settle the issue on jurisdiction),” Dela Rosa said in a press conference.

“Since the impeachment court asked the House whether it is willing to be bound by the actions of their predecessors during the 19th Congress, you can expect me also to raise the same question on the Senate floor once the session of the 20th Congress is convened,” he added.

The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, earlier ordered the return of the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives pending the following actions:  

• certify that the impeachment complaint did not violate the Constitution’s one-year bar or a one impeachment complaint filed against an official per year and
• certify that the 20th Congress is willing to prosecute the Vice President based on an impeachment complaint filed during the 19th Congress.

The House has already complied with the first requirement but has yet to comply on the second as the 20th Congress will only convene on July 28..

Dela Rosa then insisted that the jurisdiction of the Senate under 20th Congress on the impeachment complaint filed against the Vice President in the 19th Congress is still debatable, even with the Senate impeachment court already issuing orders on the prosecution and defense panel.

“The composition of the 20th Congress is different. Kaya tatanungin ko talaga para masettle 'yung issue of jurisdiction,” he said.

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint. The Vice President was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes over alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds, and for threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., his wife Liza, and Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte, among others.

Dela Rosa has moved to dismiss the impeachment complaint against the Vice President before 19th Congress ended in June, but his motion did not get support from his Senate colleagues. The chamber instead voted to return the articles of impeachment to the House.

For his part, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said motions and pleadings should be left to the prosecution and defense teams, as this is not part of the job of senator-judges.

“VP Impeachment Jurisdiction: A gentle caution to senator-judges of the impeachment court - we should leave the filing of all motions and pleadings to the prosecution and defense teams. Our job is to listen to their arguments and counter-arguments and make a ruling,” he said in a statement released Sunday.

Lacson also maintained that senator-judges should behave and speak like judges — impartial, speaking only to clarify statements, and not express personal opinions on the case — as the public will observe their demeanor during the trial. — AOL/RF, GMA Integrated News