VP Sara Duterte's camp to file response to impeachment articles on Monday

The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte is expected to file its response to the Senate on Monday, June 1 in relation to the impeachment complaints filed against her.

But according to Jonathan Andal’s report in “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday, Michael Poa, one of Duterte’s lawyers, said that they are unsure if they will personally file their response tomorrow or submit it via email.

If Duterte sends her response on Monday to the Senate's summons, she will be doing so on its deadline. A media advisory by the Senate stated that Duterte only has until June 1, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., to file her response to the articles of impeachment.

Online vote proposal

Meanwhile, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano denied that the proposal allowing senators to participate online or vote virtually has anything to do with the impeachment trial.

“Walang katotohanan na yung amendment ng rule na ‘to ay nakaugnay sa amendment sa rules ng impeachment. Bakit po? Unang-una, in-adopt na namin yung rules sa impeachment. Kapag binago namin ‘yun, ipa-publish pa, tatagal pa po ‘yun,” he said.

(There is no truth to the claims that this rule amendment is connected to an amendment to the impeachment rules. Why? First of all, we have already adopted the impeachment rules. If we change them, they would still need to be published, which would only delay the process.)

Minority senators walked out to prevent a vote on the motion in the Senate plenary, calling it an attempt to "rush" a change to rules that only allowed for teleconferencing in the event of force majeure.

Senate security

The impeachment trial will begin on July 6. Hence, the upper chamber will impose stricter security measures as the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will coordinate with the Senate’s Office of Sergeant-at-Arms.

“Regarding sa paglalagay natin ng barrier, magde-depende po ‘yan sa magiging koordinasyon natin sa loob ng Senado. Sa ngayon po, ang nilalagay na lang natin is ang ating personnel para ma-ensure na kahit may mga dumadatin o may mga rallyista na nagkakatipon-tipon ay maayos pa rin ang flow ng traffic sa paligid ng Senate,” said NCRPO spokesperson Police Major Hazel Asilo.

(Regarding the deployment of barriers, that will depend on our coordination with the Senate management. For now, we are just deploying our personnel to ensure that even if people arrive or protesters gather, the traffic flow around the Senate will remain smooth.)

This comes days after a shooting incident at the Senate that sent reporters and staffers scurrying, and senators seeking refuge. Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa—who two days earlier had shown up again after several months' absence to take part in a vote that ousted Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III as Senate president and installed Cayetano in his place, and was in the Senate's "protective custody"—slipped out after the commotion to avoid arrest on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BM, GMA News