Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña told senators that their constitutional mandate when it comes to Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case was to litigate, and not go out of their way to exonerate.
Cendaña had this to say Monday, June 8 in reaction to a proposal from the Senate to conduct Vice President Duterte's impeachment trial in under three weeks.
The proposed timeline for the trial is from June 11 to 30. The 19th Congress is scheduled to adjourn sine die on June 11.
"Malinaw naman yung panawagan natin dati pa, kailangan ng impeachment case natin ng fair day in court. And hindi siya magkakaroon ng fair day in court kung mamadaliin naman siya ngayon," Cendaña said.
(Our call has always been clear: our impeachment case deserves a fair day in court. And it won’t have a fair day in court if it is rushed now.)
"Dapat maalala nila na ang mandato ng Senado ay litisin, hindi palusutin. Alam natin kapag minadali, kulang yung oras sa dami ng mga ebidensya na ipiprisinta. So again sana ma-realize nila na it's always the Constitution over personal ambition. Yun ang mahalaga," added the outspoken solon.
(They must remember that the Senate’s mandate is to try the case, not to let it slip through. We know that when things are rushed, there isn’t enough time to present all the evidence properly. So again, I hope they realize that the Constitution must always come before personal ambition. That is what truly matters.)
Cendaña gave these remarks amid the perceived reluctance--if not downright refusal--of some senators to hold the Vice President's constitutionally-mandated impeachment trial
He further chided the senators by citing the example of Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo.
"Hindi ito parang si Carlos Yulo na sa kaka-gymnastics nila, mental gymnastics, kakatumbling at kaka-split, ay mapapalusot nila yung kanilang poon (This is not like Carlos Yulo, where through their constant gymnastics, mental gymnastics, tumbling and splitting, they can maneuver their way to letting their lord off the hook)," the neophyte congressman said.