ON Tuesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that he will leave the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to the Senate, however, he will be keeping an eye on how Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero will conduct a peaceful transition.
Carrying the impeachment trial over the 19th and 20th Congress eyes no issue for the President, stating that “it is very clear that it will.”
Because there is no way that even if they start the trial now, they will finish it before the new senators come in. So, well, again, the senators will decide,” he said in an ambush interview.
“Well, this is a function of the Senate right now. So, we leave it to them,” he said.
Marcos also stated that the impeachment trial had already moved from The House and has been handled by the Senate for a few months now.
However, he is watching Senate President Chiz Escudero as he conducts the said transition on the matter.
Last Monday, Escudero took an oath as the presiding officer of Duterte’s impeachment trial last monday. This took place after the Senate minority formally moved for the opening of Duterte’s impeachment trial.
On February 5, Duterte was impeached by The House of Representatives following the “high crimes” she committed, including corruption and an alleged assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Escudero announced that the prosecution panel’s scheduled presentation at the Senate would be moved to June 11 instead of June 2. The reason for the postponement was due to the “priority legislative measure before the 19th Congress adjourns.”
After Escudero took his oath, Sen. Joel Villanueva made a motion that the impeachment court will be convened on June 11, while senator-judges will take their respective oaths on June 10 at 4 pm.
As the trials began to be handed to the Senate, Marcos said that he will not interfere with the impeachment process.
“The Senate has no choice; the House has no choice. They have to do this now. Once the impeachment complaint was filed, tumakbo na ang proseso.” he said.
