Bishop Bacani to senators: You don't serve Sara; you serve the country

A day before the possible convening of the Senate as an impeachment court against Vice President Sara Duterte, Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani on Sunday reminded senators they are there to serve the people of the Philippines and not a specific individual.

According to Jonathan Andal’s report in “24 Oras Weekend,” groups as well as members of the House prosecution panel attended a Mass at EDSA Shrine as they seek the conviction of Duterte.

“Makonsensya naman kayo. Huwag ninyong sasabihin na ‘Tao naman ako ni Sara. Hindi ako boboto laban sa kanya.’ Hindi, hindi ka tao ni Sara kung ikaw ay senador, tao ka ng bayan,” said Bacani in his homily.

(Have a conscience. Do not say, 'I am Sara's underling. I will not vote against her.' No, you are not Sara’s underling if you are a senator—you are a servant of the people.)

Bacani, who was one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution, is also pushing for the impeachment trial to start right away.

“Kasama ako sa sumulat ng Konstitusyon na ‘yun. Forthwith. Agad-agad [...] Huwag na kayo magpapasok sa Bato sa Senado at magbabaril sa Senado. Agad-agad. Huwag na kayo magpapalit ng liderato nang ganun, basta-basta,” he added.

(I was one of those who wrote that Constitution. Forthwith. Immediately [...] Don't allow Bato inside the Senate anymore and engage in a shootout. Do it immediately. Stop changing leadership just like that, so carelessly.)

Among those who attended the mass are congressmembers Leila de Lima, Joel Chua, and Lorenz Defensor, who are all part of the House prosecution panel.

“Humihingi kami ng pagbabasbas para tulungan kami, to give us guidance, to give us strength, to give us wisdom to prosecute the respondent and to seek for her conviction, para managot talaga siya,” said De Lima.

(We are asking for a blessing to help us, to give us guidance, to give us strength, to give us wisdom to prosecute the respondent and to seek for her conviction, so she can truly be held accountable.)

Some civil society groups conducted a protest in front of EDSA Shrine before the Mass.

“Yung saloobin namin kailangan po natin ituloy yung impeachment trial na ilang taong nang hinihintay ng taong bayan,” said Kiko Aquino Dee of Tindig Pilipinas.

(Our sentiment is that we need to proceed with the impeachment trial, which the public has been waiting for for years.)

Although they have not yet received an invitation from the Senate, members of the House prosecution panel may attend the convening of the impeachment court.

In preparation for the trial, specific Articles of Impeachment have already been assigned to each congressman.

“Ang expectation naman natin sa mga House prosecution panel, kahit hindi sila assigned sa specific grounds na ito, they will still be able to prosecute and present the evidence on other grounds na hindi sila assigned,” said Representative Terry Ridon, also a member of the House prosecution panel.

The prosecution is also looking into the private prosecutors they will hire and the witnesses.

Meanwhile, Chua is hoping that the tension at the Senate won’t affect the impeachment process.

“Ito ay kanilang constitutional mandate. Inaasahin naman din po natin na ang ating bagong Senate President, bilang isang abogado, mataas po ang kanyang paggalang sa Konstitusyon,” he said.

(This is their constitutional mandate. We also expect that our new Senate President, as a lawyer, holds a high regard for the Constitution.) — BM, GMA News