Latest news with #ArticleofImpeachment
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Hontiveros urges Chiz to conduct oath taking of new senator-judges
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday called on Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero to already preside over the oath taking of the new senators in the 20th Congress who will serve as judges in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. At a press conference, Hontiveros explained that since the impeachment court is still in session now, Escudero, as the presiding officer, may call on the senators who won in the 2025 midterm elections anytime starting noon of June 30 to take their oath as senator-judges. 'Paalala, any time 12:01 p.m. onwards of today, pwede na at sana ipanumpa na ni presiding officer 'yung labindalawa pang bagong mga senador. Dahil by 12:01 p.m. today, 20th Congress na and therefore sila'y magiging senator-judges na ng Senate impeachment trial court,' she said. (Just a reminder, any time today 12:01 p.m. onwards, they can already take their oath and I hope the presiding officer will preside over that. Because by 12:01 p.m. today, it's already the 20th Congress and therefore they will be senator-judges of the Senate impeachment trial court.) 'The Senate impeachment rules say 'as they arrive.' So pwedeng one by one sila, two by two or 12, it doesn't matter, sila po ay senador na ng 20th Congress by June 30, 12:01 p.m. At dahil in session ang impeachment trial court at any time, sana mas maaga, panumpain na sila ni presiding officer. Sana wala ng ano pa mang delay or aberya between now and the 29th [July],' she added. (The Senate impeachment rules say 'as they arrive.' So they take their oath one by one, two by two or as a 12, it doesn't matter, they are already senators of the 20th congress by June 30, 12:01 p.m. And since the impeachment trial court is in session, the presiding officer can preside over that. I hope there won't be any delays between now and July 29.) GMA News Online has reached out to Escudero but he has yet to reply as of posting time. 20th Congress The 20th Congress is set to convene its first session day on July 28, on the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. The Senate impeachment court convened on June 10, with the trial proper expected to begin in the 20th Congress. Hontiveros further said that the impeachment court should proceed with the trial and not entertain any motion to dismiss Duterte's case. This was in reaction to Escudero's statement last Wednesday that the Senate impeachment court may vote on the motion to dismiss the impeachment complaint against Duterte if a senator-judge makes such a submission. 'Para sa amin, mga senator-judges, ibang understanding ko sa tungkulin namin, it is to conduct a trial,' Hontiveros said. (For us senators-judges, I understand that it is our duty to conduct a trial.) 'Para makaboto kami eventually na convict ba, acquit ba, kailangan naming madinig ang mga ebidensya sa bawat Article of Impeachment,' she added. (We need to hear the evidence in each Article of Impeachment, so that we can eventually vote whether to convict or acquit her.) The senator stressed that moving to dismiss the case or convict Duterte right away would not be fair to the prosecution, the impeachable official, and the public. 'So hindi po ako sumasang-ayon na karapatan namin bilang Senate impeachment trial court pagbotohan at pagdesisyunan na ni wala pang isang unang minuto ng trial 'yung motion to dismiss na nakapaloob sa ngayon sa formal answer ad cautelam. Kailangan umupo kami bilang senator-judges, i-kondukta ang trial, at saka lamang mag-desisyon at bumoto kung convict ba o acquit ba,' she said. (So I do not agree that it is our right as the Senate impeachment trial court to vote and decide on the motion to dismiss it. We must sit as senator-judges, conduct the trial, and then decide and vote whether to convict or acquit.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
25-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Chiz on move to dismiss VP Sara's impeach case: There's no prohibited motion
The Senate impeachment court may vote on the motion to dismiss the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte if a senator-judge makes such a submission, Senate President Francis Escudero said Wednesday. Escudero was asked if the Senate impeachment court would take up a motion to dismiss the impeachment complaint against the Vice President outright. Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa had moved in the plenary for the dismissal of the Article of Impeachment, but his motion was eventually amended that the complaint be returned to the House of Representatives pending a couple of certifications. 'Wala namang bawal na motion. 'Yan ang problema ko sa maraming nagsasabi na kung anu-ano. Asan ba 'yung rule? Asan ba 'yung provision sa Saligang Batas o sa Rules on Impeachment na bawal ang ganito o ganyang klaseng motion? Hindi mo namang pwedeng pigilan,' Escudero said in a press conference. (There is no prohibited motion. That is my problem with people making comments. Where is the law, constitutional provision, or Rules of Impeachment that a certain motion is prohibited? You cannot stop someone from making a motion.) 'Dahil collegial body ang Senado bilang impeachment court, kapag kami nag-motion at may nag-object, ano bang gagawin? Pagbobotohan," Escudero said. "Always by simple majority. Ang hindi lamang required ng simple majority [kasi] two-thirds ang kailangan kapag magbobotohan, iyong to, acquit or convict [an impeachable official under trial],' he added. (The Senate is a collegial body and as an impeachment court, when a motion is put forward, what do we do? We vote on it. The only case when a simple majority is not required is on deciding whether to convict or acquit the impeachable official, which requires two-thirds.) Escudero was referring to the Constitutional requirement that two-thirds of the members of the Senate impeachment court needed to convict the impeachable official under trial. 'It begs the question. Kung may simple majority ka to dismiss, for example, then imposible ka na maka two-thirds. It's simple math,' Escudero added. (If you have a simple majority to dismiss, then it would be impossible for you to make two-thirds.) Escudero said a motion to dismiss can also be put forward by the lawyers of the Vice President once the impeachment trial is convened, based on the answer ad cautelam of the Vice President seeking to dismiss the impeachment complaint for being illegal as it violates the constitutional one-year ban limiting the filing of one impeachment complaint against an impeachable official per year. 'Binring up naman na sa answer [ad cautelam] eh. So I presume her lawyers will do that,' Escudero said. (That is what was raised by the Vice President in her answer [filed before the Senate impeachment court].) Escudero, however, said that any motion can be made, including also a motion to convict the Vice President right away. "Someone could also make a motion to convict her outright, and I cannot prevent that from happening. But I will not vote for that. So don't just focus on the motion to dismiss. Because a motion to convict [outright] can also be made," Escudero said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
