Chiz Escudero on 1 Million Signatures To Call for Sara Duterte’s Impeachment Trial: “The law is not bendable”

Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero Stressed that No Amount of Signatures Will Convince Him

CHIZ ESCUDERO – The Senate President spoke on the move of the People’s Impeachment Movement (PIM) to gather 1 million signatures to call for VP Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

The House of Representatives has approved the impeachment of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Following the decision of the lower chamber, an impeachment trial is expected to take place next and it will be spearheaded by the Senate. However, based on the proposed timeline of Senate Pres. Escudero, Duterte’s impeachment trial will start on July 30.

Following the schedule issued by Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero, there are calls to start the impeachment trial right away. The Senate Leader also reminded the public that the schedule is “not set on stone” as it still needs the approval of his fellow lawmakers in the upper chamber.

A House leader said that a delay in the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is beneficial to her. The Vice President is mum amid the issues and her younger brother, Davao Mayor Baste Duterte, said that the Vice President seems “unbothered”.

The Davao Mayor is also confident that Vice Pres. Duterte will get through the impeachment issues victoriously citing her strong legal team. Their father, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, is one of the lawyers of VP Sara.

Recently, the People’s Impeachment Movement or PIM launched a signature campaign to call on the Senate to start the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Based on a report on GMA News, various sectoral representatives and religious groups are behind the PIM and they aim to gather 1 million signatures until June 8 (Pentecost Sunday).

However, based on the report, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero already spoke ahead that the amount of signatures won’t force him to start the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. He stressed that it would be against the law to convene an impeachment court during recess.

“No amount of signatures will amend the law nor convince me to violate it by convening the impeachment court during recess and without complying with the requisite conditions precedent,” the Senate President said.

Escudero stressed that “the law is not bendable”. Based on the report, the Senate President further expressed that the law should not adjust to the “desire, bias and timetable of wanting to rush the impeachment” of the Vice President.

Prior to the start of the impeachment trial of the Vice President, there are people hoping that the senator allies of the Duterte family will inhibit themselves from acting as senator-judges. Sen. Bato dela Rosa said he will look into evidence during Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial if he will be a senator-judge.