Senator Responds to Impeachment Delay Concerns
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronaldo “Bato” Dela Rosa addressed the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) concerns about the delay in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday.
“Are they concerned? Why are they concerned? What are they concerned about? Are they concerned because it was delayed?” Dela Rosa asked during a Senate press briefing. He reassured the public by adding, “There’s no cause for panic.” This statement comes amid growing unease over the slow pace of the process.
Background on the Senate Impeachment Proceedings
The CBCP released a statement on Tuesday expressing disturbance over the Senate’s delay in fulfilling the constitutional mandate to conduct the impeachment trial of the Vice President. It has been nearly a month since the Senate convened as an impeachment court for the case.
Shortly after the Senate convened, Senator Dela Rosa filed a motion to dismiss the impeachment case. However, Senator Alan Cayetano later amended this motion, proposing instead to return the Articles of Impeachment to the House of Representatives without dismissing or terminating the case.
Senate’s Conditions for Returning the Impeachment Case
Upon returning the case, the Senate impeachment court directed the 19th Congress House of Representatives to certify that the one-year ban on filing impeachment complaints was not violated. It also required the 20th Congress House to confirm its intention to pursue the impeachment case against Duterte.
So far, only the first condition has been fulfilled by the previous House members. The 20th Congress is set to open on July 28, and Senator Dela Rosa said he plans to seek clarity from the new Senate regarding its stance on the matter.
Upcoming Actions in the 20th Congress
“You can expect me also to raise the same question on the floor once the 20th Congress convenes,” Dela Rosa said. “I’ll also ask the same question we asked the House of Representatives. Why not ask ourselves too? It’s the same situation, so let’s also ask the Senate of the 20th Congress whether they’re willing to be bound by the actions of the previous Senate of the 19th Congress.”
The senator emphasized that jurisdiction must be established by the newly formed Senate, not the impeachment court, which will now include new senator-judges. “We are talking about new composition ng Senado so I am asking the Senate, not the impeachment court,” he explained.
For more news and updates on Senate impeachment proceedings, visit Filipinokami.com.