Escudero to House: Respect impeachment court鈥檚 order on Duterte trial
Senate President Francis Escudero during a press conference on Wednesday, June 11, at the Senate office in Pasay City. Noy Morcoso/好色先生TV
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis Escudero on Thursday said the House of Representatives must respect the impeachment court’s orders, following concerns raised by Speaker Martin Romualdez over the Senate’s move to return the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the lower chamber.
“That is the decision of the impeachment court. As prosecutors, they should respect and follow that. The same goes for Vice President Sara; she should respect and follow the summons issued by the impeachment court,” Escudero told reporters when asked about Romualdez’s remarks.
Earlier, Escudero emphasized that the House has no authority to defy the Senate impeachment court’s orders, underscoring that the Senate and House are not co-equal when it comes to impeachment proceedings.
READ: Impeachment court sends Sara Duterte case back to House
“The House is in no place to defy the orders of the impeachment court. This is not a bicam where we need to agree. This is the order of the impeachment court directed to the prosecutor, who is only a party to the case. The party and the court are not equal,” he said.
The impeachment court, composed of senator-judges, took their oath and agreed to convene on June 10, earlier than the initial June 11 schedule set during Monday’s plenary session. The court first deliberated on a motion by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa seeking to dismiss the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.
Hours later, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano moved to amend Dela Rosa’s motion. Cayetano’s motion seeks to return the Articles of Impeachment to the House of Representatives—without dismissing or terminating the case until such time that:
- The House certifies the non-violation of Art. XI, Section 3, paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which provides that “No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year,” including the circumstances on the filing of the first three impeachment complaints;
- The House of the 20th Congress communicates to the Senate that it is willing and ready to pursue the impeachment complaint against the Vice-President./mcm/abc
