Nirerespeto ng House prosecution panel ang desisyon ni Senate President Chiz Escudero sa kaniyang pagbasura sa mosyon na makapagpalabas ng Writ of Summons para kay VP Sara Duterte.
Gayonman ayon kay Lead Prosecutor Marcelino Libanan, hihintayin muna nila ang pormal na komonikasyon ng Senado para masuri ang mga dahilan bago gumawa ng susunod na legal na hakbang.
“We respect the decision of the Senate President as presiding officer of a co-equal chamber. But in the interest of transparency and due process, we will await his formal written communication to the House panel so we can thoroughly study his legal reasoning and assess our next steps,” ani Libanan.
Sabi ni Libanan, ang paghahain nila ng mosyon ay isang mahalagang procedural move at hindi paglabag, upang mahinto na ang political at procedural impasse na nakakabalam sa impeachment process.
Giit pa niya nang sabihin ng Senate President na maaari na magsimual ang preparatory steps ay saka sila umakyson.
“We filed the motion in good faith. It is grounded on the Constitution and the Senate’s own Rules of Impeachment, particularly Senate Resolution No. 39. When SP Chiz himself publicly stated that all preparatory steps could already begin, we acted on that cue. The issuance of a writ of summons is among the first preparatory steps in any impeachment trial.” Paliwanag niya.
Muli rin niyang iginiit ang umiiral na impeachment rules at probisyon ng Konstitusyon na kailangan magsimula ang paglilitis forthwith o agad-agad at hindi kailangan na naka-sesyon ang kongreso.
Sabi pa niya, nagiging paborable pa sa bise presidente ang legal technicalities imbes na maumpisahan na ang kaniyang pagpapaliwanag.
“Instead of answering the serious allegations—such as the misuse of confidential funds and grave abuse of power—the Vice President is choosing to hide behind legal technicalities. This motion aims to push past that and compel accountability,” diin ni Libanan
Depende aniya sa lalamanin ng pormal na tugon ng Senado ay maaari silang maghain ng motion for reconsideration o kaya ay iakyat sa Korte Suprema para humiling ng constitutional clarification.
“This is a historic test of our institutions and of our commitment to the rule of law. We are determined to see this through—not out of political motivation, but out of our solemn constitutional duty. Our constituents are demanding answers. It’s been nearly two months since the articles were filed. We cannot allow this to be buried under inaction or technical delay,” diin niya. | ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes
