MANILA -- Senate President Francis Escudero parried off accusations that the Senate is either afraid of or is protecting Vice President Sara Duterte by delaying her impeachment trial.

"Pain naman ung tanong na 'yun. Ginagawa namin kung ano ang  trabaho namin, ung ganyang uri ng komentaryo at pain, uulitin ko dun sa mga ayaw kay VP Sara at pabor sa impeachment, dun sa mga gusto kay VP Sara at tutol sa impeachment – walang bale sa kin un, susundin ko kung ano ang tama at nakalagay sa batas sinuman ang mapaboran, sinuman ang tamaan," Secudero said. 

"At ang ganyang uri ng komentaryo klarong nanggagaling sa kampo na tutol kay VP Sara at pabor sa impeachment. Hayaan nating dalhin nila ang kanilang opinyon at pananaw na iyon. Bilang Senado, bilang taga Pangulo ng Senado trabaho kong panatilihing pantay, parehas at makatarungan at naayon sa batas ang lahat ng gagawin namin," he added in an ambush interview.

Escudero said the House of Representatives also delayed transmitting the complaint.

"Pwede bang i-rally ko rin sila ng apat na buwang hindi nila inaksyunan ung impeachmeant complaint na inihain nung Disyembre, kung sila mismo hindi nagmadali. Inupuan at pabandying-bandying sa mahabang panahon, sino naman sila para madaliin kami ngayon. Hindi porket gusto nila eh ganun na at nung ayaw naman nila eh karapatan din nilang magpa bandying-bandying at i-delay 'yun," he said.

Escudero maintained neither side gained nor lost points by delaying the trial.

"Ano bang nawala sa kanila? Ano bang naidagdag sa kampo ni Vice President Sara? Ano bang nawala sa kampo ni Vice President Sara? Ano bang nadagdag sa kanila sa pagtulak ng petsa sa June 11. May nakalamang ba dahil doon na panig? Pakipaliwanag kasi sa palagay ko, sa tingin ko eh wala naman," he said.

Escudero added that convening the impeachment court will also be subject to the vote of the Senate.

"Lahat ng ginagawa ng Senado dumaraan sa botohan, ung simpleng tanong ng presiding officer is there any objection? Hindi ibig sabihin nun walang botohan yun. Ibig sabihin nun unanimous ung boto para gawin un. Lahat ng gagawin namin, bawat aksyon, palaging is there any objection hinid ba? So all of those are subject to a vote by plenary," he said.

Escudero said there was no motion on Monday because the agreement was to decide on it on on June 11.

"Wala namang ng – ulitin ko matagal na kayo sa Senado lahat gumagalaw sa pamamagitan ng parliamentary practice at rules para may gumalaw, may dapat mag-move, hindi ba? So, kung manifestation un eh di duly noted for the record, di ba?" he said.

"Walang nag-motion kasi napag-usapan rin na sa June 11 mapag-uusapan yun."

"Lahat ng ginagawa namin kahit naman ung SONA nakalagay sa Constitution di ba? Pero nagmo-motion din yan ‘I move that we adjourn so that we can hear and listen the SONA of the President, di ba? Any objection, hearing none it’s approve. Lahat naman yan dumadaan sa proseso," Escudero added.

Asked if the vote of senators can override its constitutional mandate, Escudero answered in the negative but he also maintained that it's a "matter of perspective".

"Hindi. Pero depende na iyon sa basa ninuman ng Saligang Batas kaya nga may Korte Suprema para magsabi tama ang ginawa nyo, mali ang ginawa nyo, depende sa pananaw ng sinumang nais maghain ng kaso laban sa kung sinumang opisyal o opisina ng pamahalaan," he explained.

Even the matter of the 20th Congress Senate trying the impeachment filed in the 19th Congress will be subject to a vote.

"It would be put into vote at the right time it would be put into a vote. Kasi napag-usapan kahapon na may mga punto naman si Senator Tolentino, may mga punto naman si Senator Pimentel. Maalala nyo. Tama nga naman na may opinyon na hindi ito tatawid, may basehan rin naman na ito ay tatawid. Kung may mag-mo-motion, pagbobotohan yan. Pag nag object pagbobotohan yan. Pag may nag-motion,walang nag-object eh di tuloy-tuloy yun," he said.

However, he said that the 19th Congress ruling won't be binding on the 20th Congress.

"Ano man ang pagpasyahan namin, hindi pwedeng itali ang kamay ng susunod na Kongreso. So ang susunod na Kongreso, anumang gawin namin, wala man kaming gawin may kapangyarihang pagpasyahan ung parehong issue pa rin. So depende sa mangyayari," Escudero said.

SENATE PROTECTING SARA?

“Is the Senate protecting Vice President Sara Duterte?”

This was the question posed by at least two congressmen, amid delays in the impeachment proceedings against the VP, and after the possibility of the complaint being considered “functionally dismissed” was raised by the Senate majority leader during the plenary session on Monday.

House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro expressed dismay over the recent statements issued by Senate President Francis Escudero defending the postponement of the schedule for the House prosecution’s presentation of Articles of Impeachment before the Senate from June 2 to June 11, the last session day before the 19th Congress adjourns sine die.

“With due respect sa ating Senate President, ang tanong ka rito, sino ba ‘yung pinoproteksyunan mo sa ganyang sinasabi mo? Taumbayan ba o si Sara Duterte?... Ang may kasalanan dapat pinapanagot, hindi pinapalusot. Nakakadismaya, nakakadisappoinnt itong nangyari sa Senado,” Castro, who signed the impeachment complaint against Duterte, said.

“Something fishy… May pinoproteksyonan talaga sa nangyayaring ‘yan. At nakikita natin na paghahanda na ito doon sa mga gusto nilang mga posisyon ba o sa 2028, etc. Kaya unahin n’yo naman for the first time ang taumbayan at huwag ‘yung mga personal na mga interes n’yo,” she urged the Senate.

For Akbayan Party List Representative Percival Cendaña, who also signed the impeachment complaint, the delays in the impeachment proceedings at the Senate could only mean two things.

“Every day of delay sends the message that the Senate leadership is either afraid of Vice President Duterte, or worse, actively protecting her. Kaya nga ang tanong natin: Natatakot ba kayo kay Sara Duterte, o pinoprotektahan niyo siya?” he said.

Kabataan Party List Representative Raoul Manuel also believes, the Senate’s inaction on the impeachment complaint shows that it is being “partial”.

“Habang walang ginagawa ang Senado, it is already being partial. Pinoprotektahan ‘yung mga nagwaldas ng pera ng bayan,” he said.

'NO BASIS'

Atty. Neri Colmenares, a complainant in the second impeachment complaint filed against Duterte before the House of Representatives, asserted the opinion issued by Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino has no legal basis, adding that the Constitution is supreme over the Senate.

On Monday, Tolentino said that the impeachment trial of Duterte cannot cross over to the 20th Congress, arguing that it will be “functionally dismissed” if the Senate cannot complete the trial by the end of 19th Congress’s term on June 30.

“’Yung sinasabi na hindi makatawid, opinion ‘yan ng majority leader, pero ang Konstitusyon does not say na ang impeachment trial pwede mong putulin kung mag-adjourn ang legislature o kaya may new Congress na mabubuo… It can be argued talaga na continuing body nga ‘yan,” Colmenares said.

“The Constitution is clear. Kayo lang ang may poder na magresolve ng impeachment case. Kung kayo ay patayin ang impeachment, edi wala nang pupuntahan ang taumbayan in terms of accountability,” he added.

ACT Teachers Party List Representative-elect Antonio Tinio said the Senate has the power to address a situation like the impeachment trial crossing over to the 20th Congress.

“Nasa buong poder ng Senado na ituloy ang impeachment trial, kahit pa may kakaibang circumstance, kaya nga siya may rule making power. Including yung matatapos na yung kasalukuyang senado at magkakaroon ng bago. May buong kapangyarihan ang Senado para harapin ang ganitong sitwasyon,” he said.

Colmenares and Kabataan Party List Representative-elect Renee Co stressed that convening as an impeachment court and holding an impeachment trial are not discretionary on the part of the Senate, but a Constitutional mandate. Co said Escudero’s statements are “contrary to the Constitution”.

“Hindi po discretionary ang pagpo-proceed sa trial. Ito po ay minamandato ng Konstitusyon. Ibig sabihin hindi po ito up for a vote. ang tinatawag ng Konstitusyon na gawin ng Senado ay agaran, at walang choice kundi magconvene bilang impeachment court at isalang na ang concerns ng mamamayang Pilipino… Ito po ay tinatawag nating gaslighting, ‘yung sasabihin… that the law says one thing, but the black text of the Constitution will provide otherwise… Stop the delays and convene the impeachment court. Start the trial now,” Co said.

“Maliit na bagay lang ba ang P612.5 million confidential funds… No more delays. No more dribbling,” Manuel added.

Makabayan groups are ready to hold mobilizations until the Senate decides on holding a trial.

Over 200 individuals, including religious leaders, coalition leaders, student leaders, activists, and academics signed a statement expressing alarm over the delays in VP Duterte’s impeachment proceedings, saying it “goes against the Constitution”. They accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of being the “main stumbling block” to the impeachment trial, after he consistently expressed opposition to it. They urged the Senate to fulfill its constitutional mandate to convene as an impeachment court.