Statement of House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Senate Returning Duterte’s Impeachment
House Speaker Martin Romualdez reacted to the decision of the Senate to return the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Last February 5, the House of Representatives impeached Vice Pres. Sara Duterte with 215 or more than two-thirds of the lawmakers in the lower chamber approving it. It was transmitted to the Senate for the trial.
However, after months of waiting for the trial to commence since the impeachment case was transmitted by the House in February, the upper chamber has recently ruled to return the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President.
Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero claimed that the Senate’s move to return the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte to the House does not dismiss the case. According to him, it is giving an opportunity to the prosecutors to answer questions.
Escudero has previously moved the schedule for the reading of the Articles of Impeachment from June 2 to June 11. According to him, the upper chamber will prioritize their legislative agenda as they still have several key measures that should be passed before the 19th Congress ends on the 30th of this month.
On Monday, the Senate Minority indeed moved to request for the opening of Duterte’s impeachment trial as what opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros has informed the public prior. She and Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel moved so Senate Pres. Escudero could take his oath as the presiding officer of the impeachment court.
The following day since Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero took his oath as the presiding officer of the impeachment court in the trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, the senators took their oath as senator-judges. All the lawmakers except for known Duterte-allies Senators Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, and Cynthia Villar wore their robes.
However, unexpectedly, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano filed a motion to return the Articles of Impeachment to the House which Escudero clarified after as a chance to answer some questions for the prosecutors. It gained the vote of 18 senators and only 5 opposed to it.
With the 18-5 voting in the Senate, the Articles of Impeachment against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is returned to the lower chamber. Recently, House Speaker Martin Romualdez reacted to the move of the upper chamber.
Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, House Speaker Martin Romualdez said the decision of the Senate to return the Articles of Impeachment against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is “deeply concerning”. He stressed that the House followed the law and their mandate on the matter.
“I rise — not in defiance — but with resolve, guided by duty, grounded in principle. The decision of the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, to return the articles of impeachment is deeply concerning. Let me speak plainly, yet with utmost respect. The House of Representatives acted not out of haste, but with deliberate care. We follow the law, we honored our mandated, and above all, we stood for what the Filipino people deserve,” he said.
Based on the report, House Speaker Martin Romualdez stressed that the lower chamber guards the trust of the people and moves when allegations threatening the confidence of the public in the govrnment rise.
“Indeed, a government that answers to its citizens, the House is not only the voice of the people, it’s a guardian of their trust when allegations arise that threaten public confidence in our institutions, our duty is clear — to seek the truth, to uphold transparency, and to demand accountability without fear, without favor,” the House Speaker said.
Following the decision of the chamber, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel was disappointed saying that there is no concept of “return to sender” in the legal process. He was one of the 5 senators who opposed the motion of Cayetano alongside senators Risa Hontiveros, Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Grace Poe.