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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Di pwedeng bardagulan': Bucoy lectures Escudero on Senate impeachment court's powers

'Di pwedeng bardagulan': Bucoy lectures Escudero on Senate impeachment court's powers

Published Jun 17, 2025 12:57 pm  |  Updated Jun 17, 2025 01:21 pm

At A Glance

  • House prosecution panel spokesman, lawyer Antonio Bucoy doesn't agree with Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero's claim that there's "no limit" to what the Senate impeachment court can decide on.
House prosecution panel spokesman Antonio Bucoy (left), Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero (MANILA BULLETIN, Facebook)
House prosecution panel spokesman Antonio Bucoy (left), Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero (MANILA BULLETIN, Facebook)
House prosecution panel spokesman, lawyer Antonio Bucoy doesn't agree with Senate President Francis Chiz Escudero's claim that there's no limit to what the Senate impeachment court can decide on.
In a press conference Tuesday, June 17, Bucoy underscored that the extent of the Senate impeachment court's powers were clearly stated in the 1987 Constitution.
Hindi po pwedeng bardagulan ito. Hindi pwede na kung ano yung gusto, yun ang gagawin. May limitasyon (This can't just be a free-for-all. You can't just do whatever you want. There are limits), Bucoy said.
Escudero, the presiding judge of the Senate impeachment court, was quoted as saying: Walang limitasyon ang impeachment court kaugnay ng pwede o hindi namin pwedeng pagpasyahan (The impeachment court has no limitations on what it can or cannot decide).
To this, Bucoy said: Ang limitasyon ay ang ating Saligang Batas at ang kanilang sariling impeachment rules. Hindi ho pwedeng porke you're sui generis (unique), pwedeng gawin ang lahat ng gusto mo.
(The limitations are set by our Constitution and the impeachment court's own rules. Just because it is sui generis does not mean one can do whatever they want.)
In fact, Bucoy continued, Kung yung impeachment rules po ay hindi alinsunod sa Saligang Batas, hindi rin ho uubra yun. So lalo na doon sa kanyang statement na kaya niyang gawin, kaya nilang ,mag-order ng kahit na ano, mali po iyon.
(In fact, if impeachment rules contradict the Constitution, they cannot stand. So the claim that the court can order anything it wants is incorrect.)
The prosecution panel mouthpiece said that everything must be done within the parameters set by the Charter.
Kung inyong tutunghayan, nakahiwalay po yung article 11 dun sa article 6. Article 6 po, tungkol sa trabaho ng paggawa ng batas. Yung article 11 is for accountability. Very specific yung provision ng accountability. Very specific what the powers are, he noted.
(If you examine it closely, article 11 is separate from article 6. Article 6 pertains to lawmaking, while article 11 focuses on accountability. The accountability provisions are very specific—so are the powers defined within them.)
The senators--sitting as an impeachment court--have yet to hear the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte. This, despite the House of Representatives' submission of the articles of impeachment to the Senate over four months ago.
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