Hontiveros backs ‘forthwith’ clause in impeachment proceedings

Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros has expressed her support on views calling for the Senate to immediately convene as an impeachment court and start the impeachment process of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Hontiveros made the remark after Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III wrote a letter to Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero emphasizing the Upper Chamber’s duty to act without delay on the impeachment complaint.

Citing the Philippine Constitution, Pimentel said the Senate is mandated to act “forthwith” on the impeachment complaint against Duterte.

Hontiveros said she supports Pimentel’s view on the matter.

“Well, bilang senador at kapag nahinog ang isang impeachment process magiging sa isang senator-judge ay dapat manatiling neutral o impartial (as a senator and once an impeachment process has made progress, we are going to be senator-judges who must be neutral or impartial),” Hontiveros said during an ambush interview in Pangasinan on Tuesday, February 18.

“Pero nakikiisa ako doon sa sulat na inilabas ng aking Minority Leader na si Senator Koko Pimentel na sa kanyang pag-intindi sa Konstitusyon ay malinaw ang utos sa amin na once ma-transmit sa amin ang Articles of Impeachment tulad ng nangyari ay agad na mag-convene (But I agree with the statement of our Minority Leader Sen. Koko Pimentel in his letter that he understands it is clear under the Constitution that once the Articles of Impeachment is transmitted to us, as what happened, we need to immediately convene),” she said.

Pimentel, in his letter to the Senate leader, said such action is mandated under Article 11, Section 3, Paragraph 4 of the 1987 Constitution.

“According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, ‘forthwith’ means ‘without any delay’ or ‘without interval of time,'” he said.

“The Filipino translation for forthwith is ‘agad,’ which conveys immediacy. The synonyms of this Filipino word include ‘madali,’ ‘bigla,’ ‘dagli’ or ‘karakaraka,’ which denote urgency or promptness,” the lawmaker added.

Thus, he said, the Senate must act on Duterte’s impeachment case “without any delay” or “without interval of time.”

“I repeat that this is the Senate’s duty,” he stressed.

“Given the gravity of impeachment proceedings, it is imperative that the Senate uphold its duty with urgency, diligence and a steadfast commitment to the Constitution,” Pimentel pointed out.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero had earlier maintained that the Senate need not rush the impeachment proceedings.

Escudero also raised the possibility that the impeachment trial may commence in the 20th Congress.