Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero Speaks on Impeachment Complaint vs. VP Sara Duterte
CHIZ ESCUDERO – The Senate President told the senators to refrain from giving statements on the impeachment complaint versus Vice President Sara Duterte.
The impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte gained different reactions from certain public officials as well as ordinary Filipinos. Sixteen (16) individuals with some of them coming from different civil society groups were behind the impeachment complaint.
Prior to the filing of an impeachment complaint, Pres. Bongbong Marcos admitted he’s not in favor of filing an impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Despite the tirades of the Vice President against him, the Chief Executive stressed that she is “unimportant” in a larger scheme.
Marcos Jr. also expressed that an impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Duterte will only tie up the House of Representatives and the Senate. According to him, it will not benefit any Filipino.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is currently surrounded by several issues, questions, and accusations. She is being asked about the controversial Confidential Funds spending of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
One of the complainants of the impeachment complaint against Duterte is Kiko Aquino Dee, the grandson of the late Ninoy Aquino and former Pres. Cory Aquino. According to him, he is not satisfied with how the spending of the public funds was discussed.
Amid the issues, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero called on his fellow senators to refrain from giving statements regarding the impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, the Senate President stressed that making pre-judgments may only affect the trust of the public on the impeachment trial and the Senate.
“Should the Senate be called upon to act as an impeachment court, any perception of bias or pre-judgment would undermine not only the integrity of the impeachment trial but also the public’s trust in the Senate as an institution,” Escudero said.
Based on the report, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero also stressed that the political divisions that an impeachment may cause should not affect the pending legislative work in the upper chamber. He stressed that senators have the duty “to enact laws that respond to the needs of our people, address urgent national concerns, and strengthen our republic”.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino also share the same view with Sen. Chiz Escudero on the matter. He stressed that members of the Senate should not comment as they are the “impeachment” judge should the complaint reach the upper chamber.
Among the senators, Sen. Imee Marcos has expressed her side on the impeachment plan against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.