Sen. JV Ejercito Speaks on Impeachment Trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte
JV EJERCITO – The Senator expressed his concern over the possible impact of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on the country’s economic agenda.
The senators have different view over the impeachment case against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Previously, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero claimed that the impeachment court can allegedly junk Duterte’s impeachment case even without a trial.
Incoming Sen. Ping Lacson raised a concern on what will be the basis of the dismissal of Duterte’s impeachment case if the prosecution team has not even presented the evidence against the accused. The Senator is one of the members of the “conscience bloc” along with three (3) other veteran lawmakers in the Senate.
Former Senate President and incoming Sen. Tito Sotto said the “conscience bloc” will ensure that the Senate follows the rules and proceedings mandated under the Constitution. Another member of the bloc, Sen. Migz Zubiri, said they will support Sotto for the Senate presidency.
Several senators and incoming senators believe that the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte must push through. One of them is Sen. JV Ejercito who stressed that the trial is a Constitutional duty of the Senate.
However, based on a report on PhilStar, Sen. JV Ejercito is worried over the impact of the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte on the economic agenda of the Philippines. According to him, big foreign investments may take a back seat while the trial is ongoing.
“Whether we like it or not, it will really affect us. My worry here is foreign direct investments, which we are longing for – these are what bring in businesses – invest in power plants, railway systems, and airports. All of these might have to take a backseat for a while,” the Senator said.
According to Sen. JV Ejercito who is the Senate deputy majority leader, they can still hold regular plenary sessions at 3:00 p.m. with the impeachment hearings held in the morning. However, based on the report, the Senator stressed that the national attention may be on the trial which may impact economic growth and job creation in the country.
The Senate deputy majority leader also turned to the House of Representatives over the alleged delay in the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. According to him, “they had all the time” but the Articles of Impeachment was transmitted “at the last minute”.
Amid the issues, Pres. Bongbong Marcos previously claimed that he has no role in the impeachment process of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. He stressed that he is busy in his work.