Vice President Sara Duterte (left) and former Senator Leila de Lima (INQUIRER file photos)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Talks that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will not push through because the odds are stacked against the prosecution panel will be a betrayal of the justice system.
This is the view expressed by former Sen. Leila de Lima in a statement on Thursday evening.
De Lima said that, regardless of the people鈥檚 opinions 鈥� including that of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., procedures must be followed.
She believes a trial must start once a verified impeachment complaint is approved by over one-third of the House of Representatives.
鈥淭here are whispers that the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte will not push through,鈥� de Lima said.
She noted that there are claims that the case was 鈥渟upposedly鈥� dead on arrival, that it lacks votes [to convict], and that it is over before it even starts.
鈥淓ven the president seems to suggest that he is not involved or does not want this to happen. But the question is clear: Will we follow the process, or turn against it out of fear or calculation?鈥� de Lima said.
鈥淭he Constitution lays out a path for accountability. It begins with the filing of the complaint, moves to the House for deliberation and action, and proceeds to trial in the Senate. Each step exists for one reason 鈥� to uncover the truth,鈥� she added.
鈥淭o abandon this process is to abandon the people who still believe in the promise of justice. It tells every Filipino that those in power are beyond reach, and that accountability is optional,鈥� she told lawmakers.
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The former senator was invited to the House prosecution panel after securing a seat in the 20th Congress through the ML party-list.
On February 5, Duterte was impeached after 215 House lawmakers filed and verified a fourth complaint.
The complaint centered on alleged misuse of confidential funds in her offices and threats to high-ranking officials, including the president, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
It combined the first three impeachment raps filed by different groups, including the first set, which was endorsed by Akbayan and which de Lima supported.
According to the 1987 Constitution, a trial should start 鈥渇orthwith鈥� if at least one-third of all House members 鈥� in this case, just 102 out of 306 鈥� have signed and endorsed the petition.
READ: House impeaches Sara聽Duterte, fast-tracking transmittal to Senate聽
Senate President Francis Escudero recently sent a letter inviting the House prosecution team to present the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte on June 2.
On Thursday, Escudero sent another letter rescheduling the presentation to June 11. /apl