Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s Camp Speaks on Possible Impeachment Trial
SARA DUTERTE – The camp of the Vice President claimed that she is ready to attend the impeachment pre-trial if necessary.
Currently, there are talks on who might preside the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Duterte if it pushes through. The talks were ignited after the Senate recently had a change of leadership that was initiated by 12 senators.
The team of former Senate Pres. Alan Peter Cayetano ditched three (3) Senate sessions to keep the chairmanships. On the third day of their absence, one of them, Sen. Chiz Escudero, attended the Senate plenary session which gave them the number to continue businss.
Several new majority senators claimed that they are already in the verge of committing a mistake against the Constitution if they were not able to resume the Senate session last June 3. For Escudero, he is standing for the Senate in his move.
The 12 senators voted to declare all positions in the Senate vacant. Afterwards, they elected Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as the Senate President Pro Tempore. Now, Gatchalian is the elected Senate chief with 13 votes after Sen. Joel Villanueva also transferred to the new majority bloc.
However, former Senate Pres. Alan Peter Cayetano believes that the majority senators allegedly want to oust him for the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. According to him, they want to take control of the proceedings.
The Vice President is faced with the following allegations that were cited in one of the two impeachment complaints that were found substantial in form, substance, and grounds by the House Committee on Justice:
- 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
Recently, the camp of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte spoke on the impeachment proceedings. Based on News5, Atty. Michael Poa claimed that the Vice President is allegedly ready to attend the impeachment pre-trial.
“So far okay naman. Nasa marking pa rin tayo. Siyempre marami talagang mga dokumento… Three months is a bit tight… Both sides naman po, we’re trying to speed things up,” Poa said based on the post.
Recently, Sen. Robin Padilla claimed that he will oppose Sen. Chiz Escudero’s possible appointment as the presiding officer of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.