Dismissing Vice President Sara Duterte’s Impeachment Complaint Breaches Constitution
Lawyer Antonio Bucoy, spokesman for the House prosecution panel, warned that dismissing Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment complaint without a proper trial would betray the Constitution. Bucoy expressed this during a press conference on Tuesday, June 17, emphasizing the importance of upholding constitutional processes.
He reacted strongly to Senator-Judge Ronald Bato dela Rosa’s recent motion to dismiss Duterte’s impeachment complaint, which was filed last week when the Senate convened as an impeachment court. This move has sparked considerable controversy and raised eyebrows across the political landscape.
“Wala po sa Saligang Batas ‘yan. ‘Yan ho ay betrayal. ‘Yan ho ay hindi alinsunod sa ating Saligang Batas,” Bucoy said firmly, underscoring that such action is unconstitutional and goes against the spirit of the nation’s fundamental law.
The lawyer described the motion as a dangerous precedent. “It’s a bad precedent. It’s a terrible precedent dahil hindi ito alinsunod sa Saligang Batas,” he added, warning that it undermines the legal framework and democratic principles.
Unconstitutional and Procedurally Improper Motion
Bucoy criticized Dela Rosa’s action as both unconstitutional and procedurally flawed. “Ang hukom po ay hindi nagmo-motion. Ang nagmo-motion ‘yung mga partido,” he explained. In impeachment proceedings, motions should be filed by the involved parties, not by the judges themselves.
He further pointed out that the grounds Senator Dela Rosa cited in his motion mirror those already presented by Duterte’s defense team to the Supreme Court. “Yung mga grounds na binanggit ni Senator Dela Rosa, ‘yun din ang grounds na iniakyat nila (Duterte camp) sa Supreme Court (SC) eh. So ang nangyari, si Senator Dela Rosa umaaksyon na parang defense counsel,” Bucoy remarked, implying that Dela Rosa is acting more like a defense lawyer than an impartial judge.
Senator-Judges Must Impartially Decide
Bucoy stressed that the role of the senator-judges is to impartially weigh the evidence presented and decide the impeachment case accordingly. Intervening with motions like Dela Rosa’s could compromise the fairness of the process and the integrity of the court.
Local leaders and legal experts closely following the impeachment process agree that dismissing the complaint without a fair trial would violate constitutional safeguards and weaken the justice system.
For more news and updates on Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment complaint, visit Filipinokami.com.