Congresswoman-elect Leila de Lima of Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list has castigated the Senate for what she described as the "dribbling" of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
"Huwag na tayong maglokohan (Lets stop fooling each other). This is no longer about legal preparedness. This is about political will," De Lima, a former senator, said on Monday night, June 2.
"Sabi ni Senate President [Francis 'Chiz'] Escudero, 'pinag-aaralan' pa raw niya ang mga patakaran. Pero ang tanong: ano pa ang kailangang pag-aralan kung malinaw ang mandato? (Senate President Escudero says he's still 'studying' the rules. The question is: what is there to study if the mandate is clear?)" she asked.
House of Representatives members have said that the Senate is constitutionally mandated to hold an impeachment trial once the articles of impeachment are submitted.
"We are seeing the early signs of dribbling. Delay tactics na dinisenyo para mapagod ang publiko, para humupa ang momentum, para mailigtas ang makapangyarihan (Delaying tactics designed to tire out the public, to stop momentum, in a bid to save those in power)," she said.
In a preas conference Monday, Escudero emphasized that it's not a guarantee that the Vice President's impeachment trial--where the senators will serve as judges--can continue in the 20th Congress.
Escudero said that it would be up to the plenary--once the Senate reconvenes in July--to vote on what to do with the impeachment complaint from the House of Representatives. He made these remarks after announcing the postponement of the reading of articles of impeachment by the House prosecution panel at the Senate from June 2 to 11.
De Lima is part of the prosecution team that has been tapped to convict Vice President Sara Duterte in at least one of seven charges.
"This is not merely a question of whether the Vice President will be convicted. This is about whether the truth will even be allowed into the room. Whether the evidence will see the light of day. Whether the Senate will do its job, or quietly surrender its role as the last forum of accountability," she said.
"When powerful figures are accused of grave abuse, silence is complicity. Delay is betrayal," added De Lima, also a former Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary.
"To the Senate: You are not gatekeepers of convenience. You are stewards of the Constitution. The responsibility now rests on your shoulders. You must rise to meet it. Let the trial begin," she further said.
It was back on Feb. 5 that the House of Representatives submitted to the Senate the impeachment complaint against Duterte.