Inquirer
Senate can’t ‘get out’ of duty, it must hold impeachment trial – Monsod
Senator Risa Hontiveros criticized the continuous delays in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, calling them "obstructions dressed up as protocol" and a "betrayal of constitutional duty."
The House of Representatives impeached the Vice President on February 5 with charges including alleged misuse of confidential funds, and the impeachment charges were transmitted to the Senate on February 5.
Constitutionalist Christian Monsod stated that the Senate cannot avoid its duty and is obliged to act on the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte, dismissing "written technicalities" used to justify stopping the trial.
This view was given in response to Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's draft resolution seeking the "de facto dismissal" of the impeachment case and Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino's argument that the case would be "functionally dismissed" if not concluded by June 30, 2025.
Monsod countered that a trial should take place even if it crosses into the 20th Congress, emphasizing that the Senate functions as a trial court in this instance, not a legislative body.
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Eighteen senators voted to return articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte to the House of Representatives due to alleged constitutional infirmities.
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Ninety-seven members of the University of the Philippines College of Law Faculty, along with faculty from De La Salle University (DLSU), Ateneo School of Government (ASoG), and other Ateneo schools, urged the Senate to commence the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
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The Senate has postponed the presentation of impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte from June 2 to June 11, citing the need to prioritize legislation and presidential appointments before their sine die adjournment on June 14.
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