Chiz assures Sara of fair Senate impeachment trial

National

SENATE President Francis “Chiz” Escudero assured Vice President Sara Duterte of a fair impeachment trial, which is likely to begin in two months.

Escudero declared that the impeachment proceedings could only start once the Congress concludes its four-month recess.

In a press briefing on Thursday, February 6, Escudero highlighted that the Senate would maintain impartiality as it acts as the impeachment court.

“Magbibingi-bingihan school of acting ako sa parehong panig—sa mga pabor at tutol sa impeachment ni VP Sara,” Escudero said in an Inquirer report.

He likewise clarified that the Senate did not go through a caucus with regard to Duterte’s impeachment.

The House of Representatives voted for the impeachment complaint against Duterte.

The impeachment complaint, signed by 240 lawmakers, contained seven articles of impeachment, accusing the Vice President of multiple high crimes, including culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft, corruption, bribery, and conspiracy to commit murder.

The Senate adjourned without tackling the impeachment complaint.

Escudero said that while the Senate is on break, they cannot legally act upon the impeachment cases during the break.

“Legally, it cannot be done. Again as I said, the impeachment court was not convened, the impeachment complaint was not referred to plenary for there to be a basis for impeachment court to be convened by the Senate sitting as a legislative body,” Escudero said.

Escudero also noted the need for them to update its existing rules on impeachment.

According to Escudero, the guidelines for impeachment proceedings are overdue for an update given that rules have not been revised since former Chief Justice Renato Corona’s trial in 2011.

“I will be instructing the Senate Secretary, Senate Legal, in consultation with some experts in the legal field that we might as outsourced resource persons to draft amended rules, updating it with respect to the rules of court and answering some of the gaps discovered during the Corona trial,” Escudero said.(MyTVCebu)