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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider In first day on the job, rookie solon tells Chiz: 'Wag paglaruan ang impeachment'

In first day on the job, rookie solon tells Chiz: 'Wag paglaruan ang impeachment'

Published Jun 30, 2025 10:58 pm

At A Glance

  • Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Eli San Fernando may be a rookie lawmaker, but he's not afraid to give Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero a piece of his mind when it comes to Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case.
Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Eli San Fernando (left), Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero (Contributed photo, Facebook)
Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Eli San Fernando (left), Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero (Contributed photo, Facebook)


Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Eli San Fernando may be a rookie lawmaker, but he's not afraid to give Senate President Francis Chiz Escudero a piece of his mind when it comes to Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case.
In literally his first day as an elected congressman Monday, June 30, San Fernando asked Escudero and his fellow senator-judges to stop playing with the impeachment process.
''Ang binabanggit natin kay Senate President Chiz at sa mga senator-judges natin, eh tungtong tayo dun sa merits nung kaso. Tapos wag na natin paglaruan kasi ang damimg oras na nasasayang eh,'' San Fernando said in an interview with House of Representatives reporters.
(What we're telling Senate President Chiz and our senator-judges is that we should focus on the merits of the case. Let's not play around with it anymore because so much time is being wasted.)
''We are for accountability. Nandyan na ang impeachment, sundin natin yan (The impeachment is already there, so let's follow it),'' said the party-list lawmaker.
The outspoken and candid San Fernando couldn't help but cite the delays encountered by the Senate impeachment court in starting the actual trial.
''I'd like to quote Vice President Sara Duterte herself. She's more than willing to face the impeachment trial. She's more than willing to face that. Kaya kailangang magkaroon ng trial para malaman natin kung ano ba talaga ang totoo (That’s why we need to hold a trial, so that we can really uncover the truth),'' he said.
The House of Representatives transmitted the seven articles of impeachment against Vice President Duterte to the Senate way back on Feb. 5, or at the tail end of the 19th Congress.
Although the upper chamber has since convened as an impeachment court, the 19th Congress ended without even the presentation of evidence on the part of House prosecutors.
''Sana eh magkaroon talaga ng trial. Yan naman ang hangad ng marami nating mga kababayan. Wag na mag dilly-dally, wag na paglaruan itong usapin ng impeachment trial (We truly hope a trial pushes through. That’s what many of our fellow citizens are hoping for. Let’s not dilly-dally or turn the impeachment issue into a game),'' San Fernando said.
''Pag-usapan yung merits. Dun naman magde-decide ang mga senator-judges natin: on the merits that will be presented by the prosecution ng House and the defense panel (Let’s focus on the merits. That’s where our senator-judges will decide on: based on the merits that will be presented by the House prosecution and the defense panel),'' he added.
Escudero is the presiding judge of the Senate impeachment court.
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