By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III warned Saturday he will not tolerate delays if the House of Representatives impeaches Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the Senate will convene as an impeachment court “the following day” after receiving the articles.
Reacting to a Supreme Court clarification that “forthwith” means “within a reasonable time,” Sotto said the ruling doesn’t bind the Senate.
“I think the Supreme Court decision is based on the petition… that decision does not apply to the work of the Senate. We are a co-equal branch,” Sotto said. “And in this case, if ever we receive the articles of impeachment, we will act on it forthwith. Sa akin ang forthwith, the following day”.[means]
Sotto said existing impeachment rules, tested during the 2012 Corona trial, don’t need fixing and warned against attempts to amend them.
“We don’t see any shortcomings there that still need to be addressed… The public will clearly see who are simply causing trouble”. He added he is “very familiar with the rules since he worked on them with the late Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile in 2011”.
While the Senate must convene immediately, Sotto clarified that the trial proper won’t start at once due to pleadings and pretrial.
“Maybe by the last week of June. That would be the latest. As long as there are no delays or unnecessary things that should not happen,” he said.
He stressed fairness to the accused: “It’s unfair to the impeachable, impeached official… That’s why it should be resolved immediately”.
Sotto gave a hypothetical: If the House votes on May 11 and transmits on May 12, the Senate can convene as an impeachment court on May 13.
Senators held a caucus on Wednesday to discuss preparations. Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said the trial can continue during the June 6 to July 26 sine die break. “The impeachment trial is separate from the session, so the sine die won’t affect in any way the impeachment,” Lacson said.
ia/xf
