Sen. JV Ejercito Speaks on Impeachment Duties of Senator-Judges
JV EJERCITO – The Senator asserted that it is the “constitutional duty” of the senator-judges to act on the impeachment complaints that will be transmitted to the Senate.
Early this year, multiple impeachment complaints were filed against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Both high-ranking government officials are accused of alleged betrayal of public trust due to varying grounds as well as other allegations.
Two (2) impeachment complaints were filed against the President but the House of Representatives has already affirmed the dismissal of the impeachment raps against Marcos Jr. The dismissal came after the House Committee on Justice found them insufficient in terms of substance.
With regards to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, four (4) impeachment complaints were filed against the Vice President. The latest impeachment rap was filed by a lawyer before the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives shortly after she announced her bid for president in 2028.
The alleged misuse of the P625-million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education when she was the DepEd secretary remains one of the common grounds cited among the four impeachment complaints filed against the Vice President.
Ahead of the House Justice panel tackling the impeachment complaints, Tindig Pilipinas which filed the second impeachment rap against the Vice President withdrew their complaint to support the third impeachment complaint filed against Duterte. The said impeach rap cited the following grounds:
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount over PHP 500 million confidential funds (CF) allocated to the Office of the Vice President from 2022 to 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount of not less than PHP 112.5 million of confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the year 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by corrupting and bribing officials of the DepEd
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in contracting to murder or assassinate the president, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her SALN
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in committing acts of  political destabilization and the high crimes of sedition and insurrection
The impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte earned different reactions from the Filipino people as well as from some government officials. Recently, one of the senators of the 20th Congress, Sen. JV Ejercito, reacted to the impeachment process and the duties of the senator-judges.
According to News5, Sen. JV Ejercito stressed that he recognizes his constitutional duty as a senator-judge in case an impeachment complaints is referred by the House of Representatives to the Senate. He stressed that it is the duty of the senator-judges to act on the impeachment complaints.
“As senator-judges, impeachment is our constitutional duty. We will do our job,” the Senator said.
Based on the post, Sen. JV Ejercito expressed his hope that after the impeachment issues are over, we won’t forget a more valuable fight which is for the progress of the country.
“Pero sana, pagkatapos ng lahat ng ito, huwag nating kalimutan ang mas mahalagang laban: ang pag-unlad ng bansa,” Ejercito expressed.
Previously, Senate President Tito Sotto spoke on the possible impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.