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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Telenovela-like' impeachment trial could have given campaign boost to reelectionist senators--Sotto

'Telenovela-like' impeachment trial could have given campaign boost to reelectionist senators--Sotto

Published Feb 20, 2025 07:58 pm

At A Glance

  • DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental--If former Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III is to be believed, then reelectionist senators missed out on what could be described as top-rated exposure when the Senate chose not to immediately tackle Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case.

20250220_140856.jpgFormer Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental--If former Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III is to be believed, then reelectionist senators missed out on what could be described as top-rated exposure when the Senate chose not to immediately tackle Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case.

Sotto, the veteran solon who is seeking a Senate comeback under the Alansya para sa Bagong Pilipinas administration ticket, candidly discussed scenarios about Duterte's impeachment during a press conference here Thursday, Feb. 20.

The upper chamber under Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero reportedly intends to take up the impeachment case and subsequently form the impeachment trial court after the July 2025 Statement of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Marcos--some five months after the House of Representatives submitted the complaint.

By that time, the 20th Congress will have already commenced.

Allegedly, one of the considerations why the Senate impeachment trial of Duterte didn't push through in the dwindling days of the current 19th Congress was the need for at least seven senators to launch their national campaign ahead of the May 12 mid-term elections.

"The seven senators are reelectionists, and they will be campaigning. What...better campaign than to be [on] television every day in impeachment court? Walang tatalo dun (Nothing can beat that)," Sotto said.

"Parang telenovela yun, panonoorin ng buong Pilipinas yun eh. Di ba? (It would have been like a telenovela, to be watched by the entire Philippines. Right?)" said the Alyansa bet.

Instead, what happened was that the Senate adjourned last Feb. 5, roughly an hour after Duterte's duly endorsed and verified impeachmemt complaint was hand-delivered there by House Secretary General Reginald Velasco.

Theoretically, the senators could have used as much time as they wanted during that final session day to take up the impeachment rap in plenary. But this didn't happen.

Congress (House and Senate) will reconvene from June 2 to 13, and will hold its six final session dates during that period. The 19th Congress will have its sine die adjournment by the 13th.

Personally, Sotto said he wants to see a quick resolution to impeachment case, for the sake of the Vice President.

"Kaya kailangan apurahin mo kagad. Malaman na natin kagad yan kung gulity or not guilty yan para makapag patuloy na siya sa trabaho niya. Yun ang dahilan kung bakit nilagay yung 'forthwith' [sa Constitution], he said.

(That's why this should be done quickly. We should find out quickly whether she's guilty or not so that she can go about her work. That's the reason why the Constitution uses the word 'forthwith'.)

Related Tags

Impeachment vicente tito sotto III telenovela Sara Duterte
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