The House prosecution panel said it will seek clarification from the Senate impeachment court regarding its recent orders in connection with the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
While expressing the panel's desire to comply with the senator-judges' orders, Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro says they want to be on the same page with those from the upper chamber.
"Now, with respect to the action of the Senate last night (Tuesday), the impeachment court requiring us to issue a certification about the compliance with the Constitution with respect to the filing of the impeachment complaint," Luistro said in a press conference with her fellow prosecutors Wednesday, June 11.
The senator-judges, voting 18-5, voted on Tuesday to return the seven articles of impeachment to its origin, the House of Representatives, so it could be ceritified as compliant with the 1987 Constitution.
"With respect to the first order about the certification pertaining to our compliance with the Constitution in filing the impeachment complaint, we maintain our position: Sumunod po kami fully and strictly to the requirements of the Constitution (We fully and strictly followed the requirements of the Constitution)," Luistro said.
"We did not violate the one-year prohibition rule," stressed the lawyer-legislator.
And then there's the Senate's second order, wherein it asked the House whether or not it will pursue the same impeachment complaint in the upcoming 20th Congress.
"Medyo ang prosecution panel po ay nalalabuhan dito sa naging order ng impeachment court kagabi (To the prosecution panel, the order issued by the impeachment court last night is somewhat unclear)," Luistro said
"It is impossible to be complied with because first of all, 20th Congress doesn't exist yet. Tayo po ay nasa ikalabing-siyam na Kongreso pa lamang. Mag-aadjourn pa po and we will be looking forward na mag-convene naman ang [ika-dalawampung] Kongreso ng Pilipinas," she said.
(We are still in the 19th Congress. It will adjourn, and we will be looking forward to the convening of the 20th Congress of the Philippines. That will be on July 28 simultaneous with the SONA (State of the Nation Address).
Wednesday is the last session day of the current 19th Congress. Luistro said the prosecutors will file the motion for clarification within the day.
Meanwhile, the prosecution panel also wants to be given clarity on the matter of the presentation of the articles of impeachment, according to Luistro.
"I wish to add, nakatanggap po tayo ng liham or should I say, nakakita ng liham (we received a letter, or should I say, we saw a letter) from the social media that the anticipated presentation of the articles of impeachment is cancelled," noted the Batangueña.
"Ang sabi po ng ating presiding officer ng impeachment court (Our presiding officer of the impeachment court said) the referral of the verified complaint to the impeachment court mooted already the presentation and the reading of the articles," she said.
"This will be part of the clarification that we will be seeking from the impeachment court. Sapagkat batid po natin na itong presentation ng articles ay bahagi ng Senate rules on impeachment (Since we are aware that the presentation of articles is part of the Senate rules on impeachment)," she further said.