A House leader welcomed the Senate’s convening as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and urged senator-judges to proceed with the case without unnecessary delays.
The lawmaker said the Senate’s move to formally convene the impeachment court was a positive step toward ensuring constitutional accountability and due process.
He also commended the Senate leadership and members of the majority bloc for following through on their commitment to begin the impeachment proceedings.
The lawmaker said the actual trial should proceed as soon as procedural requirements are completed, allowing Duterte the opportunity to answer the allegations and rebut the evidence that will be presented by the House prosecution panel.
“After the preliminaries like compliance with the requirements of due process, the trial should get underway. And it should be free from politics, distraction and obstruction,” Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said.
He pointed out that the impeachment court’s order requiring the Vice President to respond to the charges within a non-extendible 10-day period, while giving prosecutors five days to submit a reply, reflects adherence to due process.
Adiong, who chairs the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, expressed hope that the Senate would avoid postponements once the preliminary requirements are completed.
“Though the Senate president announced that trial would be set at some future time after due process prerequisites are met, we hope there would be no delay in the trial,” he said.
The House official added that a timely resolution of the impeachment case would benefit the country by helping address continuing political uncertainty surrounding the proceedings.