The Senate was urged to concentrate on its constitutional duty as an impeachment court instead of reviving parallel inquiries that could distract from the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The call came amid moves to reopen Senate hearings on the flood-control controversy, even as cases related to the issue have already been filed and the Ombudsman process has started moving.
The concern is that reopening separate investigations at this stage could blur the issues, divide public attention, and shift focus away from the impeachment proceedings, where senators are expected to sit as judges.
“To be honest, I would rather that the Ombudsman be allowed to continue with this investigation. The proper forum for this point, after all the investigations have been made, now belongs to the courts,” Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said in an interview.
Acidre said accountability should proceed through the proper forum and be guided by evidence, not political timing.
“Cases have been filed. They have started to file cases against certain individuals,” he said.
He added that the same standard of due process being applied to the impeachment trial should also guide the handling of the flood-control controversy.
“But I would rather that we allow the process to continue on the basis of evidence. The same discipline, and the same due process that we’re also giving to the Vice President in the impeachment trial,” he emphasized.
The Senate is preparing to take on its role as an impeachment court, with senators tasked to determine whether the Articles of Impeachment transmitted by the House are enough to convict or acquit Duterte.
The party-list solon warned that reviving multiple controversies in the Senate while the impeachment process is underway could turn accountability into political spectacle and make it harder for the public to follow the evidence.
“Remember, accountability cannot be done with shortcuts,” he said.
“Shortcuts will only serve as distractions. Shortcuts will only muddle the issue,” he added.
The solon said the Ombudsman should be allowed to perform its mandate, while the Senate should focus on the duty that only it can carry out under the Constitution.
“So let’s allow the Ombudsman to do his job,” he said.
He stressed that the impeachment trial should remain the chamber’s priority because only the Senate has the authority to render judgment in the case.
“I would rather that they focus their energies on the role as senator-judges. Because only the Senate has the power to either acquit or convict the Vice President in an impeachment trial,” Acidre said.
The issue highlights a broader institutional concern: when several controversies are reopened at once, evidence risks being overshadowed by political noise, and public accountability becomes harder to track.