Pagbalik ng Senado sa articles of impeachment laban kay VP Sara sa Kamara tinuligsa  

TINULIGSA ni Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares ang desisyon ng Senate impeachment court na ibalik ang articles of impeachment laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte sa Kamara.

“The motion to return or remand the articles of impeachment is without any factual and constitutional basis. The Constitution states that once the articles of impeachment are transmitted to the Senate the duty of the Senate is to try the case forthwith, not to send it back,” paliwanag ni Colmenares.

Ayon kay Colmenares, ngayon lang siya nakakita ng judge na binalik sa complainant ang kanyang complaint para tanungin kung maayos ba ito at kung handa siyang pursigihin ito.

Wala aniyang basehan sa Saligang Batas ang ginawa ng Senado at hindi umano nila trabaho na ibalik ang articles of impeachment.

Paliwanag nito, ang tungkulin nila ay magsagawa ng paglilitis.

“If they want to clarify something from the House, they should ask it during the start of the impeachment trial. What does this “return” do to facilitate the impeachment trial? Nothing.  Even if the House will answer that the impeachment complaint did not violate the Constitution, there will still be questions and debates from pro-Duterte Senators who will claim that it did violate the Constitution.  The proposal of Sen. Pimentel was the correct and the most practical idea–for the impeachment court to convene and summon the House prosecutors to answer the questions raised by Sen. dela Rosa in the approved motion rather than remanding the impeachment complaint,” pahayag pa nito.

Nagbabala si Colmenares na ang naturang hakbang ay magpapa-delay lamang sa impeachment process at magkaroon ng procedural deadlock na ang mabebenipisyuhanay yaong umiiwas umano sa pananagutan.

“Malinaw na ito ay para pahabain ang proseso at bigyan ng pagkakataon si Sara Duterte na umiwas sa pananagutan,” paliwanag ni Colmenares. 

Nangangamba ito na sasamantalahin ng VP ang pagkakadelay at iwasan na sagutin ang articles of impeachment hanggang nabinbin ang proseso.

“I will be happy if proven wrong, but I predict that Sara Duterte will not answer the summons if the impeachment complaint is remanded or returned. She will say, ‘Hintayin ko muna sagot ng House bago ko sagutin ang complaint nila.’ This is a clear ploy to buy time and avoid public scrutiny,” pahayag ni Colmenares.

Nanawagan naman ito sa senado na tuparin ang kanilang constitutional duty at ituloy ang impeachment trial.

(Vina de Guzman)