Ranking congressmen are confused as to why Senate President Francis Chiz Escudero has branded House prosecutors as stubborn when it comes to accomplishing their responsibilities in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case.
“Hindi ko maintindihan ang comment na (I could not understand his comment) why the House panel would be stubborn,” House Assistant Majority Leader and Manila 1st district Rep. Ernix Dionisio said during a press conference Thursday, June 26.
Ginagawa na nga ng House prosecution, ng House, ang duty nila above that (The House prosecution is already doing its duty about that), he added.
Dionisio believes that the House is being cooperative with the Senate acting as an impeachment court. There's no reason [for] name-calling,” he added.
Dionisio made the remark after Escudero earlier referred to House prosecutors as hard-headed and stubborn when the latter allegedly refused to receive a furnished copy of the defense camp's pleadings.
Meanwhile, House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the House has shown consistent respect for the Senate’s authority throughout the process.
“The impeachment court is the one determining the timeline, the impeachment court is the one ordering both the prosecution and defense to comply to such requirements,” Adiong said.
“And if there’s any delay… it’s not the House prosecution team,” he added.
Dionisio reminded fellow lawmakers in both chambers that the focus should remain on upholding the Constitution, not on exchanging barbs.
“Tama na ‘yung giitan o yung mga name-calling o ‘yung turuan or pasahan ng bola (Let's stop name calling or passing the balls),” he said.
“Let’s work together, let’s proceed with the impeachment complaint and do our constitutionally mandated duty,” he added.
Adiong declined to directly respond to Escudero’s comment but said the two chambers simply appear to have a difference in understanding.
He said the House prosecution panel has done everything by the book and under the guidance of the impeachment court.
“We merely submit to the orders of the court, and that’s what we’ve been doing from the very start,” Adiong added.