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1 week ago
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NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 6 March) — What is prompting Senate President Francis Escudero to dillydally on the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte?
It may be recalled that on February 5, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte for allegedly plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., his wife First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and presidential cousin and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and alleged misuse of her confidential funds.
The Articles of Impeachment against her were transmitted to the Senate on the same day.
Article XI Section 3(4) of the 1987 Constitution states: “In case the verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of all the Members of the House, the same shall constitute the Articles of Impeachment; and trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed.”
In all English dictionaries and its use in legal documents the term “forthwith” means to do something immediately or without delay.
This notwithstanding, Escudero declared that the impeachment court will convene once the Senate is in session, and had set the date July 30 as the start of the impeachment trial against Vice President Duterte. That is exactly six months since the filing with and receipt by the Senate of the Article of Impeachment. By so doing, Escudero is suggesting a new definition of “forthwith,” that is one has to do something at his convenience.
True, the Senate is having a recess—a break from lawmaking. But serving as an impeachment court is another of its imperative duties and responsibilities it has to act forthwith.
Why? What explains this perspective? Is he after the conviction of the VP, and believes that he can’t secure a 2/3 vote to seal the doom of the irrepressible Duterte in the current membership of the Senate, and is hoping that the incoming Senate aligns with him to deliver the ax? Not a possibility.
A conviction may bring him closer to a cherished dream.
Moreover, he could simply be avoiding a clash with the Duterte clan to avoid endangering his dream of becoming the President of the land not just of the Senate.
Is this a fantastic speculation? Maybe or maybe not. There is no other on the way up there for a Senate President except the presidency of the Republic. So does the Vice President. That’s what Philippine history tells us.
Anyway, Escudero’s delaying tactics, whatever its worth, found support from the VP herself who, in a desperate move, filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition with the Supreme Court on February 18. A certiorari petition seeks a court review of a decision or order due to grave abuse of discretion and, if granted, can overturn it. The impeachment trial, in this case, may not proceed.
It is doubtful, however, that the high court pokes its nose into a congressional intramural.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental.)
