Senate Must Conduct Impeachment Trial, Lawmaker Warns
A Manila lawmaker emphasized the importance of the Senate fulfilling its constitutional role in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte. The House prosecutor stressed that dismissing the impeachment complaint through a mere resolution, without conducting a proper trial, would reflect poorly on the Senate.
Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua, one of the 11 prosecutors assigned to the impeachment proceedings, shared his views during an interview on June 4. Although unaware of the rumored Senate resolution seeking to dismiss the complaint, Chua firmly believes the Senate must hold the trial as mandated by the Constitution.
“Hindi ko rin alam laman nung resolution. Basta ako, ang opinyon ko dyan, is ang constitutional mandate ng Senate is to conduct the trial,” Chua said. He added that ignoring this duty by simply passing a resolution would send the wrong message.
Clear Roles in Impeachment Proceedings
Chua clarified the distinct roles of the House and Senate in the impeachment process. He explained that the House is responsible for prosecuting, while the Senate’s role is to hear and decide on the case. Given this division, he finds it difficult to understand how the Senate could dismiss the complaint without holding a trial.
“Pagkakaalam ko dyan eh under the Constitution, ang trabaho ng Senate is to hear, di ba? Ang sa amin naman is to prosecute. So hindi ko naiisip kung pano nila ididismiss yan without first conducting the trial and that is their constitutional mandate,” he added.
Constitutional Violation at Stake
When asked whether dismissing the impeachment complaint by resolution would be unconstitutional, Chua unequivocally agreed. He warned that bypassing the trial would violate the Senate’s constitutional duty.
“For me, that is unconstitutional. They’re violating their constitutional mandate,” he explained.
In the Philippine Congress, a resolution is adopted only when it gains majority support in plenary. The House transmitted the impeachment complaint and seven articles of impeachment against Vice President Duterte on February 5.
Originally, the Senate was scheduled to read the articles in a plenary session on June 2. However, this was postponed to June 11, which is the last session day of the 19th Congress.
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