THE House prosecution panel has asked the Senate leadership to provide it with an office in the Senate building in Pasay City for Vice President Duterte’s impeachment trial which is expected to begin in July .
In a letter last March 5, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco requested Senate President Francis Escudero for a space that will serve as a holding and work area for the public prosecutors and the House Secretariat Support Group (SSG) throughout duration of the impeachment trial.
Velasco also requested that the House team be allowed to inspect the designated room tomorrow to ensure it meets the needs of the prosecution panel.
Duterte was officially impeached on February 5 after 215 lawmakers endorsed the verified impeachment complaint filed by the majority bloc, exceeding by 113 signatories the constitutional requirement of one-third of all members of the House of Representatives, which currently has 306 members.
The Articles of Impeachment, which accuses Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption and other high crimes, was transmitted to the Senate also on February 5.
Trial may start in July.
Senate President Francis Escudero has stood firm on his position that the Senate cannot be convened as an impeachment court while Congress is on recess from February 7 until June 1 for the midterm elections. He has said there is nothing in the 1987 Constitution that states that the Senate should convene as an impeachment court “immediately” upon the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment.
He said the word “forthwith” in the Constitution should mean that the Senate will convene as an impeachment court but it should be “within the bounds of law” as it would be illegal to convene while Congress is on recess.
Section 3 (4) of Article XI (Accountability of Public Officers) of the Constitution, provides: “In case the verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by one-third of all the members of the House, the same shall constitute the Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed.”
Escudero has presented a proposed timetable for the impeachment proceedings, which shows the trial proper starting possibly on July 30.
A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court asking the tribunal for clarification on the issue. At the heart of the petition for declaratory relief filed by John Barry Tayam, a high school teacher who is also seeking a House seat for the lone district of Las Piñas City, is a plea to the magistrates to settle debates on the term “forthwith,” it means swift or immediate action, or allows for delay.
Speaker Martin Romualdez acknowledged receipt of a separate letter from Escudero dated February 24, confirming receipt of the verified impeachment complaint and an assurance that the Senate is preparing for the trial.
The Speaker told Escudero that the House “trusts that the proceedings will be conducted with fairness, impartiality, and strict adherence to the provisions of the Constitution.”
The Speaker also thanked the Senate President for “your commitment to ensuring an orderly and transparent process and will remain in coordination as we fulfill our respective mandates.”
