‘As proven in countless events in the past, the independence of the Senate from Malacanang’s influence has become a myth…’
IN calling for the immediate convening of the impeachment trial for Vice President Sarah Duterte over any legal or political condition or anything else transpiring, former Comelec chief Christian Monsod cited Article 11 Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution that says, “Trial by the Senate shall begin forthwith.”
Monsod, one of the framers of the 1987 Charter, was a guest at the media forum, Agenda, in Greenhills last Friday.
He emphasized that “forthwith” clearly provides for the immediate trial of Duterte, but deplores the delay caused by the excuse of a Senate break, which “shouldn’t be an excuse” at all.
Monsod explained that starting the impeachment “forthwith” is meant “to protect the people from the officials they elected who have violated the Constitution.”
He also stressed that the public should be informed of the identities of the senators who have opted to delay the Senate trial, claiming they are out to protect their personal and political interests against being compelled to make statements that may adversely affect their chances for reelection.
Reelectionist Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino is anticipating a petition before the Supreme Court for the impeachment trial of Duterte to start immediately, not after the May elections. The main issue, of course, will be the immediacy of the impeachment trial at the Senate, the delay of which, as Monsod says, may render the senators accountable for violation of the Constitution.
As proven in countless events in the past, the independence of the Senate from Malacanang’s influence has become a myth, and Senate President Chiz Escudero, the Palace choice for Senate President, probably has no choice but to toe the line, unless he wants his tenure to be suddenly cut short.
Escudero acknowledged the dictionary meaning of “forthwith,” which he apparently ignored as he has set his sights on the trial beginning on July 12.
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More than the fierce rivalry for senatorial seats in the May elections, the imminent arrest of former President Duterte may trigger a political crisis if and when the arrest warrant from the ICC is served during the impeachment trial of the Vice President.
Malacanang is apparently determined to prevent a political storm by trying to defuse the heightened tensions being caused by the two highly-charged political events.
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In the face of the nation’s economic and financial uncertainties, the following may be a worthwhile and inspiring read on the actual need for God in our lives, more than the money or the fame and reputation from our success in our work or business. This is from the book “100 Amazing Answers to Prayers” by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen.
Jeremiah Lanphier was a typical New York City businessman who started a series of weekly prayer meetings to try to revive attendance in his church, the North Dutch Reformed Church, on Fulton Street.
“So Lanphier printed up handbills and passed them out for the Sept. 23, 1857 opening. He had no idea that a month later, the Bank of Pennsylvania would fail in Philadelphia, sending economic shock waves across the country.
“Soon the New York Stock Market crashed. Those who had been trusting in money were suddenly searching for a more reliable master. So the men’s prayer meeting was thronged, and new noon prayer meetings began throughout the city. When churches proved to be too small. theaters were booked for the prayer meetings. At Burton’s Theater on Chambers Street, crowds came a half hour early, packing the auditorium to capacity, with others waiting outside.
“On March 19, 1858, the New York Times reported that the noted preacher Henry Ward Beecher led three thousand people in prayer at the theater. The Tribune and the Herald competed with each other for the best coverage of the Manhattan noonday prayer meetings. In April, editor Horace Greely devoted one entire issue of the Tribune to the Christian revival.
“Lanphier’s Fulton Street meetings became internationally known. Prayer requests came from Switzerland, Germany, and the British Isles. Converts poured into the churches. In May, a magazine estimated that there were fifty thousand new converts in New York City alone. In cities and towns across the country, prayer meetings began to spring up.
“A Chicago paper reported, ‘Nothing like this has ever happened in the history of Chicago.’ Estimates vary regarding the total number of converts. Some say five hundred thousand; others a million.”
