The influential Makati Business Club (MBC) has become the first major business group to join the growing call to urge the Senate to commence the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte, citing the need to uphold accountability to maintain investor confidence.
Makati Business Club pushes for VP Sara Duterte's impeachment trial
Vice President Sara Duterte (Manila Bulletin File Photo)
In a statement on Monday, June 9, MBC said the upper chamber must fulfill its constitutional duty to convene as an impeachment court to proceed with Duterte’s trial.
“We view this issue as a governance issue and a test of public accountability and the rule of law,” the group said.
MBC said the impeachment trial is meant to present evidence to determine if the charges against the country’s second highest official have basis or not.
It noted that failure to proceed with the process will be considered as betrayal of public trust and denying Duterte with the proper forum to refute the charges.
The business group, which comprised of the country’s business leaders, suggested that the Senate’s failure to try the Vice President could risk of losing interest from prospective investors.
“If we do not follow the rule of law, how can we expect to attract foreign and even local investors to bring in long-term investments, which would lead to the creation of jobs?” MBC said.
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on the grounds of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
The lower chamber did so on Feb. 5, the final session day before Congress entered a three-month recess for the midterm elections.
The articles of impeachment, which specifies the charges, were swiftly transmitted to the Senate during that day but were not discussed in the plenary.
The presentation of the charges has since been postponed to June 11, after initially being scheduled on June 2, or the resumption of the plenary session of the Senate.
Various civil society and academic groups are now calling the Senate to convene as impeachment court amid rumors that the impeachment trial are being dropped altogether.