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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House's Bucoy claps back at Senate's Tongol: 5 months is not forthwith, 'forever yun'

House's Bucoy claps back at Senate's Tongol: 5 months is not forthwith, 'forever yun'

Published Jun 19, 2025 11:28 am  |  Updated Jun 19, 2025 01:12 pm

At A Glance

  • The House impeachment spokesman has chided his counterpart in the Senate after the latter called out the solon-prosecutors for supposedly not complying with the Senate impeachment court's orders seven days after their were given.
House prosecution panel spokesman Antonio Bucoy (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
House prosecution panel spokesman Antonio Bucoy (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The House impeachment spokesman has chided his counterpart in the Senate after the latter called out the solon-prosecutors for supposedly not complying with the Senate impeachment court's orders seven days after their were given.
For lawyer Antonio Bucoy, who represents the House prosecutors, seven days is a blink of an eye compared to the amount of time it took for the senators to act on the verified and duly-endorsed impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Naiinip ka sa seven days ngayon, limang buwan na hindi pa rin kayo nagsisimula ng trial. Sa halip mas pinapahirap niyo, mas naging komplikado. We are stuck at preliminaries. Dapat hindi na ito pinag-uusapan. So seven days, five months--you do the math, Bucoy said in an interview.
(You're getting impatient over seven days now, but it's been five months and the trial hasn't even started. Instead of making things easier, you've made them more complicated. We're still stuck in the preliminaries. This shouldn't even be up for discussion anymore. So, seven days, five months—you do the math.)
Bucoy was referring to fellow lawyer Regie Tongol, spokesperson of the Senate impeachment court.
Yung five months hindi ho yun, 'forthwith' forever yun (Five months doesn't constitute 'forthwith', that's forever), the seasoned litigant said in jest.
The House of Representatives submitted the impeachment complaint--along with the seven articles of impeachment--against Vice President Duterte way back on Feb. 5. But the Senate only convened as an impeachment court last Tuesday, June 10--over four months after it received the complaint. 
Based on the Constitution, the Senate impeachment trial must be held forthwith or immediately after the House of Representatives transmits the articles of impeachment. But the senator-judges have yet to formally start the trial, pending some orders that Bucoy have described as unclear.
This includes the impeachment court's seeking of a certification that the impeachment complaint was compliant with the Constitution.

But Bucoy says that it's actually the Senate who hasn't been complying with what the Charter has asked of them to do.
Once the articles of impeachment has been transmitted to the Senate and received by the Senate, there is now a presumption of legality and regularity. You can no longer question. Hindi sila pwede mag-impose additional condition, hindi nila pwede usisain yan. Dapat yan sila naman ang mag-comply ng kanilang mandato na litisin na itong articles of impeachment, Bucoy said.
(They can neither impose additional conditions, nor do they have the right to scrutinize that. It’s they who must comply with their mandate to proceed with the trial of these articles of impeachment.)
Kaya ho hindi naman ito agad-agad na dapat, 'Sige sundin na lang natin,' because there will be repercussions in the future. On the other hand, gaya ng nabanggit ko, sila hindi nako-comply ang kanilang obligasyon.
(That's why we shouldn't simply say, 'Alright, let’s just follow it right away,' because there will be repercussions in the future. On the other hand, as I’ve mentioned, they themselves have not fulfilled their obligation.)
And by raising these points, we are not criticizing the impeachment court. We are calling them out. Do your duty. Listen to the clamor of the people.font-size:13px>The people want a trial, he further said.
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