Senator-elect Tito Sotto Asserts Impeachment Court Senator-Judges Can’t Make Motions
TITO SOTTO – The former Senate President claimed he learned from the late former Senator Miriam Santiago about the impeachment rules.
The Senate, with the 18-5 voting, approved the remand of the articles of impeachment against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives. The senator-judges question the constitutionality of the impeachment charges against the Vice President.
Also, the motion required for a reconfirmation from the 20th Congress on its willingness to cater the impeachment trial against the Vice President. A member of the House previously questioned it asserting that the 20th Congress is not yet existing.
Despite the Senate’s decision coming as a surprise, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero claimed that the return of Duterte’s articles of impeachment does not equate to the dismissal of the case. He stressed that it is a chance for the prosecution team to answer questions before the impeachment court decides on the matter.
Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero also claimed that the impeachment rules do not prohibit the Senate as an impeachment court to remand the articles of impeachment. However, some senators who opposed the motion insisted that there is no concept of return in the Constitution.
Eighteen (18) senators voted in favor of the motion to return the articles of impeachment against Duterte to the House while only five (5) senators did not support it. There was not a single lawmaker who abstained from casting a vote.
All senators cast their votes on the motion. Eighteen (18) of the senator judges including Escudero, the presiding officer, were in favor of the remand of Duterte’s impeachment while only five (5) senator judges opposed to it.
YES
- 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
NO
- Koko Pimentel
- Risa Hontiveros
- Sherwin Gatchalian
- Grace Poe
- Nancy Binay
Senator-elect Tito Sotto, a former Senate president, also reacted to the issue. According to him, for the essence of neutrality and impartiality in tackling an impeachment case, the senators should refrain from making motions.
Recently, former Senate Pres. Tito Sotto revealed that it was the late former Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago who taught him about the impeachment. Based on a report on Inquirer, the late former Senator was one of those who discussed the rules during the first impeachment in the 11th Congress.
“Sen. Miriam, who was a former RTC (Regional Trial Court) judge, taught me that in the 11th Congress. Senator-judges can only ask questions for clarification,” Senator-elect Tito Sotto said.
Based on the report, the former Senate President also claimed that just because the remand of the articles of impeachment is not in the rules, it does not mean it is allowed. He advised the current senators to study the impeachment by checking on the records of the first impeachment during the 11th Congress.
“I suggest that the present crop of senators, especially the newer ones, read our records and debates in the 11th Congress when the first impeachment was well-discussed by Miriam and others. The reason for the robe and the decorum. Aral-aral muna bago putak!” Sotto said.
Amid the issue, a known Duterte ally, Sen. Bato dela Rosa who claimed that he is guided by the Holy Spirit expressed his belief that the Senate no longer has jurisdiction over the Duterte’s impeachment.