📷: Naglunsad ng kilos-protesta ang mga progresibong grupo sa harap ng Senado bilang pagtutol sa desisyon ng impeachment court na ibalik sa Mababang Kapulungan ang articles of impeachment laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte. (Altermidya |FB)
TINULIGSA ni Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares ang desisyon ng Senate impeachment court na ibalik sa Mababang Kapulungan ang articles of impeachment laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte dahil ito’y labag sa Konstitusyon at garapal na pagtatangka upang iantala ang katarungan at pananagutan.
“The motion to return or remand the articles of impeachment is without any factual and constitutional basis. The Constitution states that once the articles of impeachment are transmitted to the Senate the duty of the Senate is to try the case forthwith, not to send it back,” sabi ni Colmenares.
“As to facts, the House is not only presumed to abide by the constitutionality of the Articles of Impeachment but it has transmitted the Articles and has consistently defended its constitutionality and their readiness to prosecute it. There is therefore no factual basis for even asking the House to certify its constitutionality. Ngayon lang ako nakakita ng Judge na binalik sa Complainant ang kanyang Complaint para tanungin kung maayos ba ito, at kung handa syang pursigihin ito” dagdag niya.
“Walang basehan sa Saligang Batas ang ginawa ng Senado. Hindi nila trabaho na ibalik ang articles of impeachment. Ang tungkulin nila ay magsagawa ng paglilitis. If they want to claify something from the House, they should ask it during the start of the impeachment trial,” giit ni Colmenares.
“What does this “return” do to facilitate the impeachment trial? Nothing. Even if the House will answer that the impeachment complaint did not violate the Constitution, there will still be questions and debates from pro-Duterte Senators who will claim that it did violate the Constitution. The proposal of Sen. Pimentel was the correct and the most practical idea–for the impeachment court to convene and summon the House prosecutors to answer the questions raised by Sen. dela Rosa in the approved motion rather than remanding the impeachment complaint. ”
Nagbabala si Colmenares na ang ginawa ng Senado ay pakikinabangan ng mga gustong lumusot sa pananagutan.
Malaking kalokohan aniya ang sitwasyon na nilikha ng impeachment court at pangungutya sa Saligang Batas.
Malaking katanungan aniya kung paano sasagutin ni VP Sara ang isang reklamo na ibinalik sa nagreklamo.
“This will delay the process because if they remand or return it to the House, then in reality, there is no article of impeachment to send to VP Sara Duterte. VP Duterte can claim that the supposed summons is without any basis as the Senate court has “returned” it to the House. How can they summon VP Duterte to answer a complaint that has been remanded back to the complainant? This is an absurd situation that makes a mockery of our Constitution,” sabi ni Colmenares.
“Malinaw na ito ay para pahabain ang proseso at bigyan ng pagkakataon si Sara Duterte na umiwas sa pananagutan,” paliwanag niya
Maaari aniyang samantalahin ito ni VP Sara para hindi sagutin ang articles of impeachment lalo na’t nakatengga ang proseso.
“I will be happy if proven wrong, but I predict that Sara Duterte will not answer the summons if the impeachment complaint is remanded or returned. She will say, ‘Hintayin ko muna sagot ng House bago ko sagutin ang complaint nila.’ This is a clear ploy to buy time and avoid public scrutiny,” ani Colmenares.
“Additionally, since the second question in the approved motion is addressed to the 20th Congress–whether the 20th Congress is willing to pursue the impeachment proceedings, then there is no way that the 20th Congress can answer it before June 30. So, Sara Duterte can now, avoid answering the Summons by saying that I will wait for the 20th Congress to answer that question first. Pwede niyang sabihin, bakit ko naman sagutin ang isang complaint na hindi naman sigurado kung interesado ang complainant na i prosecute ito? There will therefore be no reconvening of the impeachment Court until the 20th Congress. The impeachment case is dead under the 19th Congress. That was the first and the last session of this Impeachment Court.
“We call on the Senate to fulfill its constitutional duty and proceed with the impeachment trial. The Filipino people deserve transparency, accountability, and justice—not legal maneuverings that only protect the powerful. Kung may trial, sana nasagot na ang matagal nang tanong ng taumbayan kay VP Sara Duterte–saan mo ginastos ang Php 612 Million na confidential fund mo? Dapat ituloy ng mamamayan ang mga indignation rallies sa buong bansa para ipakita ang pagtutol sa “functional dismissal” ng impeachment complaint at kanilang pag giit na malaman kung saan napunta ang sobra kalahating bilyon ng pera nilang gunastos ni VP Duterte bilang “confidential” fund,” pagtatapos ni Colmenares. (ROSE NOVENARIO)