Senate Pres. Tito Sotto Speaks on Possible Impeachment Trial
TITO SOTTO – The Senate President revealed that he is now seeking legal guidance of some of his justices friends over the possible impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The secretary general of the House of Representatives, Cheloy Garafil, recently confirmed that the impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte have already been transmitted to the office of House Speaker Bojie Dy. Two (2) impeachment raps were filed against the Vice President last February 2.
The first impeachment complaint filed against Duterte was endorsed by the Makabayan bloc. In the said complaint, the Vice President is accused of supposed betrayal of public trust and gross abuse of discretionary powers regarding the supposed misuse of the P625 million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
Not long after the Makabayan bloc filed the impeachment complaint before the Office of the House Secretary General, Tindig Pilipinas also filed another impeachment rap against he Vice President. The complaint was endorsed by Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima and Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña.
The filing of the impeachment raps against Vice Pres. Duterte came after the Supreme Court reaffirmed its ruling that the previous impeachment complaint filed against the Vice President is “unconstitutional”. After it, 19 senators of the 20th Congress voted to archive the impeachment rap against Duterte.
Here are the votes of the senators on the proposal to archive the impeachment complaint against Duterte then:
Following the decision of the high court, the Senate voted to archive the impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Duterte:
YES
- Alan Peter Cayetano
- Pia Cayetano
- Ronald Dela Rosa
- JV Ejercito
- Francis Escudero
- Jinggoy Estrada
- Sherwin Gatchalian
- Bong Go
- Lito Lapid
- Loren Legarda
- Rodante Marcoleta
- Imee Marcos
- Robinhood Padilla
- Erwin Tulfo
- Raffy Tulfo
- Joel Villanueva
- Camille Villar
- Mark Villar
- Juan Miguel Zubiri
NO
- Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV
- Risa Hontiveros
- Francis Pangilinan
- Vicente “Tito” Sotto III
ABSTAIN
- Panfilo “Ping” Lacson
Then, Sen. Ping Lacson claimed that he and then-Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto will revive the impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte from the archives if the Senate changes its ruling.
Recently, based on a report on GMA News, now-Senate Pres. Tito Soto revealed that he is seeking legal guidance from some of his justices friends over the possible impeachment trial against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. According to Sotto, two (2) lawyers from the Court of Appeals and one (1) from the Court of Tax Appeals are briefing him since two weeks ago.
“I am being briefed by some justices friends because I would want to concentrate on how to be the presiding officer of an impeachment court pagdating sa rules of evidence at saka sa) rules on criminal procedures,” the Senate President claimed.
Based on the report, Senate Pres. Tito Sotto further stressed that the important thing in the impeachment process is that you have a clear view on the rules of the evidence as there are excellent lawyers who make any submissions to the court. According to the Senate Chief, his fellow senators are also seeking legal guidance ahead of the possible impeachment trial.
Recently, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was asked about his reaction to the House Secretary General transmitting the impeachment raps against VP Sara Duterte to the Office of the House Speaker.