Sen. Prexy Chiz Pinabulaanan na “Immediately” ang Impeachment Trial ni VP Sara

 Ni Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

SENATE President Chiz Escudero nixes the exhortation of a Constitutional lawyer for the Senate members to transform themselves immediately as judges after the House of Representatives sent the Article of Impeachment at the Upper House on February 5.

“Parang hindi niya nabasa ang Saligang Batas. Walang sinabing “immediately” ang Saligang Batas. Ang sinabi ng Saligang Batas: “ay “shall forthwith proceed with trial”.

SENATOR Chiz Escudero and this writer in a tête-à-tête at the posh Thunderbird Resort and Casino in San Fernando City, La Union after nursing some bottles of San Miguel Beer there.

He rebutted the lawyer by disclosing that ‘forthwith” was not “immediately” by citing an example on how the late Chief Justice Renato Corona was tried through impeachment by the Upper House.

The meaning of "forthwith" (an adjective) based on the online dictionary seems to have the same meaning, susmariosep!, with "immediately". It says "especially in official use) immediately; without delay".

Example: "We undertake to pay forthwith the money required".

“Ni-file ang impeachment complaint ng December 13 nag trial po sila January 19. So kung susuriin niyo base sa present iyong salitang “forthwith” hindi naman ibig sabihin noon kinaumagahan agad agad dali-dali. Mahigit dalawang buwang inupuan, pinag-aralan, binasa, tiningnan ng Kamara iyong mga impeachment complaint na nakabinbin. Mahigit dalawang buwan. Hindi ni forward ng Secretary General ang Impeachment Complaint sa tanggapan ng Speaker para i-refer sa plenary at saka sa Committee on Justice magkatabi lamang ang kuarto tulad sa Senado ng Secretary General at Speaker ang Secretary ng Senate at Senate President. Bakit naman kami bigla at sabihing gagalaw na umakto kaagad sa loob lamang ng ilang oras?” aniya sa isang press conference ngayong araw.

Pinadala ng halos alas singko na kahapon Miyerkules ang Article of Impeachment kontra kay Bise President Sara ng Secretary General Reginald S. Velasco (isang retiradong sundalong heneral) ng Mababang Kapulungan matapos 215 na mga Kongresmen (kailangan lang ng 103 o 1/3 sa 309 miyembro para ireklamo at ipadala ito sa senado ang kotrobersyal na VP).

The Article of Impeachment by the members of the House was based on allegations of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. 

May mga lumabas na impormasyon na P150 million ang nagpalit kamay sa House of Representatives at kada isang mambabatas para lang matuloy ang matagal ng minimithing sama ng loob ng Malacanang at ni Speaker Martin Romualdez – na pinsang buo ni President Ferdinand Marcos – para panagutin ang babaeng Duterte kung paano niya nilustay ang P612 million na karamihan ay confidential fund sa Office of the Vice President at Department of Education. Siya’y nahaharap rin sa reklamong pagbabanta sa buhay ng Pangulo, sa asawa nito, at kay Speaker matapos siyang magwala noong Nobyembre noong isang taon sa harap ng mga camera ng mga TV crews. Sa isang presser, nag ala “Brenda” o "brain damage" rin siya dahil gusto niya ring putulan ng ulo ang Pangulong Marcos, hahaha!

Some critics of the Senate argued that the trial could begin even while the members are on break, as the trial is distinct from its usual legislative proceedings. The Senators, they emphasized, would serve as jurors and not lawmakers.

 Escudero disputed them by saying that the Senate could start the trial, but that would be illegal. He cited the august body’s Resolution 39, which states: “When the Senate receives articles of impeachment pursuant to Article XI, Sections 2 and 3 of the Constitution, the President of the Senate shall inform the House of Representatives that the Senate shall take proper order on the subject of impeachment and shall be ready to receive the prosecutors at such time and date as the Senate may specify.”

Paano kung si President Marcos mismo ang mag utos sa mga Senador na magpatawag ng special session para mapadali ang impeachment ni Inday Sara?

The Senate President, whose Missus is the lovely model and actress Heart Evangelista, said special sessions are only held for urgent legislative matters, such as acting on pending bills, and that impeachment proceedings do not qualify for it.

Saka hindi maganda daw kay President Marcos na gamitin ang kanyang kapangyarihan para mapabilis ang pagtanggal sa anak ng dating pangulo ng Pilipinas na sakit ng ulo ng Palasyo at ni Speaker Tambalolos (tawag ni Sara at mga tagasuporta sa may malaking tiyan na si Romualdez, hahaha!) bukod sa tinatawag sila ng mag-ama na mga adik na hinihikayat pa ang military at kapulisan na iwanan na sila sa poder.

Inciting to Sedition, eh?

The top man of the Senate said the senators might convene the impeachment court on June 2 when their session resumes. During the break however they, Escudero stressed, can begin drafting the rules for the Senate trial, as the current rules, last used during the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Corona in 2012, need to be updated.

“Maraming kailangan i-update sa rules. Hindi pa na na-update ang rules nung ma-impeach si dating CJ Renato Corona. Hindi namin ito mamadaliin. Hindi rin namin ito labis na i-aanaatala. Hindi kami mag papa pressure kahit kanino man,” ani Escudero.

Escudero said it is immaterial that when the impeachment trial starts the residents of both Houses would have different faces. They could start basing on the records passed to the Senate by the House dubbed as the 19th Congress. In June 2, the membership of the House would be the 20th Congress, while 12 of the members of the 23-man Senate (24 but former Senator Sonny Angara resigned and joined the heirarchy of the Department of Education) would have new personalities.

Prestigious polls showed that almost if not many of the 12 candidates of President Marcos in the Senate would be a shoo-in. It takes 2/3 or 16 Senators to yanked out La Sara from her perch. 

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MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a more than two -decade seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and blogs exposing corruptions, public officials idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing with diligence local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.