A senator criticized the House of Representatives on Wednesday over the delay in transmitting the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the Senate, saying the chamber’s explanation was difficult to accept.
Senator Imee Marcos questioned the claim that the House still needed time to reproduce voluminous documents related to the impeachment case.
“The excuse that the House is still reproducing ‘voluminous documents’ is flimsy, unacceptable, and difficult to take seriously. The House has dozens, if not hundreds, of personnel at its disposal, backed by full administrative, legal, records, printing, and information-technology support,” Marcos said.
She said the House was able to transmit impeachment articles on the same day they were approved in a previous case last year, adding that there was no clear reason why the process should take longer this time.
“It cannot now pretend that paperwork has suddenly become an insurmountable obstacle. This delay appears less like an administrative concern and more like a political maneuver to control the timing of the Senate proceedings,” she said.
Marcos said the impeachment case should move forward without unnecessary delay so the Senate could begin proceedings and resolve the matter in due course.
“I, for one, want the impeachment proceedings to begin, proceed, and be resolved in a timely manner, so that the Senate and the rest of government can return their full attention to the pressing issues burdening the Filipino people,” she added.