Member of Prosecution Team in Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial Speaks on Remand
SARA DUTERTE IMPEACHMENT – House prosecution team member Manila Representative Joel Chua insisted that there’s nothing wrong with the process of the lower chamber in the articles of impeachment versus the Vice President.
Unexpected by many people, after they wore their robes and took their oath as senator-judges in the impeachment trial against Vice Pres. Duterte, most of the senators supported the motion to return the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives. The said motion was filed by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.
No senator abstained from voting on the motion to return the articles of impeachment to the House. One five (5) senators opposed the motion of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and they are the following:
- Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel
- Sen. Risa Hontiveros
- Sen. Grace Poe
- Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian
- Sen. Nancy Binay
On the other side, 18 senators including Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero supported the motion to return the articles of impeachment against Duterte to the House. Here are the senators who voted in the afirmative to the motion:
- Alan Peter Cayetano
- Pia Cayetano
- Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa
- JV Ejercito
- Chiz Escudero
- Jinggoy Estrada
- Bong Go
- Lito Lapid
- Loren Legarda
- Imee Marcos
- Robin Padilla
- Bong Revilla
- Francis Tolentino
- Raffy Tulfo
- Joel Villanueva
- Cynthia Villar
- Mark Villar
- Juan Miguel Zubiri
Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel admitted his disappointment citing that there is no “return to sender” concept in the legal proceedings. Pimentel who is also a former Senate President worked with Sen. Risa Hontiveros in the pursuit to request for the immediate start of Duterte’s impeachment trial.
According to Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero, the returning of the articles of impeachment against Duterte to the House does not mean that the case is dismissed. He stressed that it is an opportunity for the House to answer the questions before the Senate will make a judgment.
Recently, Manila Rep. Joel Chua reacted to the move of the Senate to return the articles of impeachment against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives. He is one of the 11 congressmen who make up the prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of the Vice President.
Based on a report on GMA News, Manila Rep. Joel Chua insisted that there is allegedly nothing wrong with the process executed by the House in the impeachment of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. He stressed that they followed all the rules.
“Wala pong mali. Lahat po ng nasa rules ay sinunod po namin. Sa ngayon kami ay naninindigan na ito ay nanda-dyan pa rin at tuloy pa rin. Mamaya po paguusapan namin kung ano po mga hakbang ang susunod na gagawin po namin,” Chua said.
Based on the report, Manila Rep. Joel Chua also stressed that the argument should have been raised by the defense and not by the senator-judges. Amid the issue, a known Duterte ally, Sen. Bato dela Rosa, expressed his belief that the Senate now has no jurisdiction over the impeachment of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte following th remand.