Respected Senators Would Be Embarrassed by Senate Impeachment Court
Antonio Bucoy, spokesman for the House prosecution panel, boldly claimed that respected senators of the past would be deeply embarrassed by how the Senate impeachment court is handling Vice President Sara Duterte’s case. Bucoy named legendary legal figures Lorenzo Tañada, Jose Diokno, and Joker Arroyo as examples—senators he personally learned from during his early law career.
Mahihiya sila. Ikahihiya nila ang mga ginagawa ng kasalukuyang Senado (They would be embarrassed. They would be embarrassed by what the current Senate is doing), Bucoy said during a press conference on June 17. When asked how these late senators would react if they witnessed the current impeachment court proceedings, his answer was clear and firm.
Lessons from Past Legal Giants
Bucoy recalled being a law student when he joined the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), an organization founded by Tañada, Diokno, and Arroyo to help those in need of legal aid. He emphasized that the senators of that era were fundamentally different.
Calling a spade a spade, Bucoy said, Kasi po iba yung komposisyon noon eh, iba, umaani ng respeto, Walang patutsada. Ngayon ho dahil sa actuations nila andaming patutsada (The composition back then was different, they earned respect. There were no snide remarks. Now, because of their actions, there’s so much snide comments).
Constitutional Mandate and Delays
According to the Constitution, the Senate impeachment trial must begin immediately after the House transmits the articles of impeachment. The House completed this step on February 5—over four months ago. Despite this, Bucoy lamented the significant delays in the trial.
“Sa ngayon (For now), will there be a swift trial? It doesn’t look that way. There’s so much foot dragging on the part of the impeachment court. Also on the part of the impeached official,” Bucoy noted.
Prosecution Pushes for Swift Trial
Bucoy stressed that once the prosecution moves forward, it will not cause any delays. “Pero ito po, once ito ay umusad–pag-usad po nito sa panig ng prosecution–hindi ang prosecution ang magbibigay ng dahilan para maantala ito. Ang gusto ng prosecution, swift trial,” he explained.
He urged the Senate to conduct the trial quickly so it can refocus on its primary role of lawmaking. “Ayon po sa rules of impeachment, ang impeachment should be given priority at a certain hour, they should stop their legislative work and conduct the trial of impeachment. So nakahati ‘yung atensyon. So hindi ho maganda ‘yan dahil ‘yung paggawa ng batas na makakatulong sa ekonomiya ay naaantala. So mas mabuti na maging swift, maging mabilis ‘yung paglilitis para investor confidence is assured,” Bucoy added.
A swift Senate impeachment court trial would not only uphold constitutional mandates but also maintain public trust and economic confidence.
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