Pimentel: Senate should do its duty with urgency
SENATE minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III is asking Senate President Francis Escudero to act on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, saying there is no reason to further delay constituting the impeachment court.
Escudero was not available for comment on Pimentel’s appeal, which was made in a letter dated February 14 but made public only yesterday. His office said he will issue a reply in a press conference today.
The Supreme Court, meanwhile, directed the Senate to answer a petition asking the magistrates to direct the chamber to immediately constitute the impeachment court and begin the proceedings against the Vice President.
The petition was filed by lawyer and former Presidential Commission on Good Government special government counsel Catalino Generillo Jr. last Friday.
Escudero earlier said the Senate will formally tackle the impeachment complaint when regular sessions resume on June 2, and will hold the trial proper after President Marcos Jr. delivers his state-of-the nation address on the last Monday of July because preparations for the proceedings will take time.
Pimentel, in the letter to Escudero, said Article XI, Section 3, paragraph 4 of the 1987 Constitution states that, “In case the verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of all members of the House of Representatives, the same shall constitute the Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shall ‘FORTHWITH’ proceed.”
Pimentel said the word “forthwith” in the constitutional provision should be interpreted in accordance with the “verba legis” rules, “that is, it should be given its plain and ordinary meaning.”
According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary, Pimentel said, “forthwith” means “without delay” or “without interval of time,” and its synonyms include “immediately, instantaneously, instantly, presently, promptly, right away, right now, straight off, and straightaway,” among others.
He said the Constitution even has an official Filipino translation, which includes “agad,” in the same provision.
“The Filipino translation of forthwith is ‘agad’ which conveys immediacy. The synonyms of this Filipino word include ‘madali, bigla, dagli, or kara-karaka’ which denote urgency or promptness,” he added.
With this, Pimentel said the Senate leadership has no reason to further delay convening the Senate as an impeachment court.
“Given the gravity of impeachment proceedings, it is imperative that the Senate uphold its duty with urgency, diligence, and steadfast commitment to the Constitution,” he added.
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros, in an ambush interview in Pangasinan yesterday, said she agrees with Pimentel’s interpretation of the constitutional provision that the Senate’s mandate is clear on convening as an impeachment court once the Articles of Impeachment is transmitted to the Senate.
NO URGENCY
Sen. Imee Marcos, in a press conference at the Senate, said for her, “forthwith” would “still be the next available session” day, and that would be on June 2.
Marcos also she does not see any urgency in convening the impeachment court.
She said talks of impeaching the Vice President have been circulating at the House since October 2023, and the chamber sat on three complaints, filed in December last year, for two months before transmitting the complaint to the Senate on the last day of the regular session on February 5.
She also expressed belief that calling for a special session so that the Senate can convene as an impeachment court is not necessary.
Marcos declined to comment further, saying she might violate the sub judice rule considering the petition filed in the Supreme Court. She said senators also agreed to refrain from further commenting on the impeachment trial since they will be sitting as judges.
Marcos earlier said she will fight against the impeachment trial to the end but clarified that what she meant was she is against the impeachment not because of her closeness to the Vice President or her being the elder sister of President Marcos.
“I will fight against it because I don’t want trouble, I don’t want destabilization, revolutionary government, Bongbong resign, and even the ICC (International Criminal Court). I don’t want any kind of trouble,” she said in Filipino.
She said an impeachment trial is just a waste of time, energy, and resources that should have been used instead to address the country’s problems.
PETITION
The Supreme Court en banc required the Senate “to comment on the mandamus petition within a non-extendible period of 10 days from receipt of notice.”
In his petition last Friday, Generillo asked the High Court to compel the Senate to “immediately” convene as an impeachment court and start the trial on Duterte.
In his plea, Generillo argued that the 1987 Constitution does not permit the Senate to delay its duty during recess, adding that it must promptly constitute itself as an impeachment court and try the Vice President.
Generillo got the support of former Integrated Bar of the Philippines national president Domingo Egon Cayosa who said the Senate should have already started the impeachment trial of Duterte.
Cayosa said the language of the 1987 Constitution regarding the conduct of impeachment trial is clear, referring to the section containing the word “forthwith.” – With Ashzel Hachero
