CBCP urges Senate to proceed with VP Sara impeachment

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Tuesday urged the Senate to proceed with the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte without delay, to serve the common good in pursuit of justice and faith.

“We appeal to the Members of the Senate to abide by what the Constitution directs: to proceed with the trial and to decide the case against the Vice President by summoning witnesses, hearing testimony, and voting according to the evidence and, above all, the demands of righteousness and justice,” CBCP President Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa said in a statement.

“We urge the Senators to avoid any act that may be perceived as evading their sworn duty or circumventing the requirements of the Constitution,” he added.

The Filipino bishops released the statement after the House of Representatives impeached Duterte on allegations of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes.

The House plenary, for the second straight year, voted to impeach Duterte, this time with 257 yes votes, 25 no votes, and nine abstentions.

Garcera said a delay in the impeachment proceedings means a delay in justice, not just for Filipinos but also for the Vice President.

“You now have this opportunity to restore our people's faith and confidence in our public institutions that adhere to the rule of law and serve the common good in the pursuit of justice and truth,” the prelate said.

Practice vigilance

The CBCP called on the public to exercise vigilance in monitoring the proceedings to protect the truth and integrity of public discourse and to strengthen the country against misinformation, disinformation, and manipulation.

“To our fellow Filipinos, let us fulfill our civic duties and responsibilities by ensuring a fair and credible trial so that all may see and hear clear, verified evidence and arguments,” Garcera said.

In a social media post, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza called for fair and credible impeachment proceedings, urging the Filipinos to be responsible when monitoring the impeachment.

Ensure a fair, credible trial

“To our fellow Filipinos, let us together fulfill our civic duties and responsibilities by ensuring that there is a fair and credible trial—one that allows all of us to see and hear clear, verified, and trustworthy evidence and arguments,” said Alminaza, who is also chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace.

“Our deep desire and fervent prayer are that, through this constitutional process, we may arrive at the truth, with the hope that this will strengthen our respect for and adherence to the rule of law—one of the essential foundations of a genuine and stable democracy,” he added.

Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David earlier called on Filipinos to be discerning with the issues linked to the events that have unraveled in the past few days involving democratic institutions.

"The events of the past days remind us that democratic institutions are tested precisely in difficult and politically charged moments such as this," said David in a statement posted on social media.

"Many of our people are tired of noise, propaganda, and partisan shouting matches. What they long for is clarity. They want to hear facts discussed soberly, evidence weighed carefully, and public officials acting with integrity and maturity," he added.

Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III was ousted as Senate President on Monday and replaced by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano at the height of the House of Representatives’ voting on the impeachment complaints against Duterte.

Meanwhile, Duterte's defense team distanced itself from the leadership change in the Senate, with Cayetano as the new Senate president, a known political ally of the Duterte family.

Duterte lawyers have stood firm that they are prepared to defend the second-highest official in the country before the Senate should it convene as an impeachment court.

They also emphasized that it is now up to the accusers to substantiate their allegations, possibly during the impeachment trial. — BAP, GMA News