Senate President Francis 鈥淐hiz鈥� Escudero and Vice President Sara Duterte (Photos from NI脩O JESUS ORBETA and GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Vice President Sara Duterte defended Senate President Francis 鈥淐hiz鈥� Escudero, disputing the allegation that the delay in her impeachment trial in the Senate is due to his fear of her.
Duterte made the pronouncement after Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cenda帽a on Tuesday asked Escudero if he was afraid of Duterte.
The question was raised after the Senate once again rescheduled the presentation of Articles of Impeachment from June 2 to June 11.
READ: House member asks Escudero: Are you afraid of Sara Duterte?
鈥淲ell, based on how I know Senate President Chiz Escudero, he鈥檚 not someone who gets scared,鈥� Duterte said in a chance interview in The Hague.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 remember him as鈥� I don鈥檛 know him to be the kind of politician who gets frightened,鈥� the vice president recalled.
鈥淪o I really don鈥檛 know where the claims that Sen. Chiz Escudero is afraid are coming from. I have no idea where that鈥檚 coming from,鈥� she said.
Meanwhile, Escudero, shrugged off the insinuation, calling it nothing but a 鈥渢rap.鈥�
READ: Escudero says he鈥檒l do what鈥檚 right, what鈥檚 in the law amid criticisms
He, however, did not specifically say what he was being lured into by such an allegation.
Escudero just maintained that the chamber is doing its duty, even after critics鈥攂oth former and incumbent lawmakers alike鈥攁ccused him of supposedly abandoning the constitutional duty of the Senate./apl