A political analyst believes a move to kill the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte before it goes to trial is a way to sabotage the “constitutionally mandated role” of senators to act as impeachment judges.

Political analyst Ronald Llamas said the admission of some senators that there are resolutions to dismiss the impeachment complaints “would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic.”

He also criticized talk that one reason why the impeachment complaint should be dismissed is due to lack of time, pointing out that the Senate could have convened as an impeachment court immediately after the complaint was voted on by the House of Representatives last February instead of going on recess.

“Bakit ba kinulang sa oras? Di ba because of [Senate President Francis Escudero’s] definition of ‘forthwith’?  Di ba ang linaw linaw naman?” 

“Ilang buwan na ba 'yun? Tapos excuse kulang sa oras?”

Llamas said that instead of outright rejection, the Senate, as an impeachment court, could either convict or acquit the Vice President in an impeachment trial.

He also denied that the impeachment case cannot cross over to the 20th Congress, pointing out that court cases continue even if the composition of a court changes. 

"Hindi ka na Senado, korte ka na," he said.