Senator Francis Pangilinan revealed that discussions among senators about a resolution on Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment began shortly after the July 28 State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Pangilinan, along with Senators Risa Hontiveros and Bam Aquino, drafted the resolution after the Supreme Court (SC) halted Duterte’s impeachment trial. The trio had earlier released a statement opposing the SC’s decision.
“After we had that statement, we brought it (resolution) to the attention of the majority in the caucus. But before that, I presented it during the SONA to some of the other senators, who said they would review it,” he said during a Rappler interview.
So far, only Pangilinan, Aquino, Hontiveros, and Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto have signed the resolution. It has not yet been filed and is under review by other senators.
Pangilinan cited former SC Justice Adolf Azcuna in explaining that the resolution urges the Court to reconcile conflicting constitutional provisions.
He said the House acted in good faith when it impeached Duterte and transmitted the Articles of Impeachment in February, relying on the SC’s Francisco ruling, which considers an impeachment proceeding “initiated” once a verified complaint is referred to the House Committee on Justice.
The SC later ruled that the earlier complaints’ dismissal counted as initiation, making the fourth one a violation of the one-year ban.
“The House was guided by the Francisco ruling, so that should be valid. And then for the future, if you want the new definition to apply, (it’s) for future cases,” said Pangilinan.
The Senate is set to reconvene on August 6 to discuss how the SC decision affects Duterte’s impeachment trial.IMT
