TWO members of the House of Representatives’ 11-man prosecution panel yesterday expressed optimism that the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte will draw more public support once the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, starts holding trial.
Reps. Leila de Lima (PL, ML) and Gerville Luistro (Batangas) said the presentation of evidence before the impeachment court will definitely change public opinion and prompt many to support the Articles of Impeachment.
“I share that once evidence is presented, we believe, we hope that those who say they’re against the impeachment would change their opinion,” De Lima, a former senator and justice secretary, told reporters in mixed English and Filipino .
De Lima was reacting to the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) which shows that out of 59 percent of respondents who are aware of the impeachment case, 42 percent disagreed with it, 32 percent agreed, 18 percent were undecided, and 7 percent believe they lack knowledge to form an opinion.
The same June 25 to 29 survey also found that 44 percent of respondents believe the Senate is deliberately delaying the trial, 25 percent did not believe it was the case, 22 percent were undecided, and 9 percent believe they lack the knowledge to answer.
De Lima said many of those against the impeachment case are influenced by Duterte supporters who sow fake news and disinformation and some senator-judges who seem to have prejudged the case “without yet looking at the evidence.”
Luistro agreed that the negative public perception on the impeachment is brought about by the Dutertes’ “enduring political support.”
“We have to consider also that the Duterte family still has significant number of supporters and that is why there is a need really for us to proceed to the presentation of evidence so that the people will have an ample opportunity to assess really if we have basis to proceed to this (legal remedy) prayed for. That is of course, the removal and the perpetual disqualification,” she said.
Luistro maintained the prosecution has “ample and strong evidence” supporting the seven Articles of Impeachment.
“And we honestly believe that once we are allowed to proceed with the presentation of evidence, a lot of Filipinos will be watching and will be basing their respective positions on the evidence that they will be seeing during the trial. That is why it’s very important that we proceed to trial,” she told reporters in a separate interview.
She said the Senate must proceed with the impeachment trial because it is a constitutional duty that should not be affected by public opinion against the case.
“Well, I have said this earlier, regardless of the result of the survey, we have a constitutional duty that we really have to face. There is nothing which is more supreme than the Philippine Constitution,” she said.
Luistro also laughed off the Vice President’s claim that the impeachment complaint is “political persecution and harassment,” saying the case must be judged “by the strength of evidence, not political rhetoric.”
“If there’s no evidence, that is political prosecution. But if there’s evidence, that is a legitimate prosecution. As far as we are concerned, we have ample and strong evidence supporting the seven Articles of Impeachment,” she said in mixed Filipino and English.
JURISDICTION ISSUE
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa yesterday said he will raise the issue of jurisdiction of the Senate in the 20th Congress over the impeach complaint which was filed last February during the 19th Congress.
The first regular session of Congress starts on July 28.
Dela Rosa, Duterte ally, said since the impeachment court, in the 19th Congress, ordered the House to issue a certification that it will still be interested in pursuing the complaint in the next congress, the same should be done by the Senate.
“My personal stand is since the impeachment court asked the House as to their stand, whether or not the 20th Congress House of Representatives is willing to be bound by the actions of their predecessors, the 19th Congress House of Representatives, are they willing to continue or are they willing to bind themselves to whatever actions that took place?” Dela Rosa said in mixed Filipino and English during a press conference.
“I will ask the same question we asked the House of Representatives. Why not ask ourselves?” he added.
Dela Rosa said he will raise this issue before the Senate as a legislative body, not as an impeachment court since the Senate has a new set of senators in the 20th Congress, which will also change the composition of the impeachment court.
“It (jurisdiction) has to be established by the Senate (as a legislative body), not by the impeachment court… We are talking about the new composition of the Senate. So, I am asking the Senate, not the impeachment court,” he said.
Dela Rosa said he expects that the seven senators who are identified with former President Rodrigo Duterte,
Aside from Dela Rosa, the other members of the Duter-7 bloc are senators Christopher Go, Robinhood Padilla, Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, Mark Villar, and Camille Villar.
Dela Rosa, during the first day of the convening of the impeachment court, asked his colleagues that they dismiss the impeach complaint due to alleged infirmities. After a long debate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano suggested they return the impeach articles to the House, for it to issue a certification that it did not violate the one-year bar rule, and another certificate that the 20th Congress House would still be willing to pursue the case.
The House has complied with the first impeachment court order.
Asked if the first certification is enough for the impeachment court to start the trial, Dela Rosa replied in the negative.
“How can we proceed with the trial when the composition of the 20th Congress Senate has changed? That’s why I will ask this so that the issue of jurisdiction will be finally settled,” he said. – With Raymond Africa and Jocelyn Reyes
