Senator Panfilo Lacson warned senators against plans to immediately dismiss the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte even though it is not yet under trial. He made the statement following reports that Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a close ally of Duterte, plans to refile the motion to dismiss the complaint when the Senate impeachment court reopens on July 29.
According to Lacson, the job of the senator-judges is to listen to the arguments of both sides—prosecution and defense—and not interfere with the motions. He insisted that both sides should be allowed to file motions and legal defenses, while the Senate will decide based on their presentations.
Dela Rosa first moved to dismiss the case on June 10, but it was amended and the Articles of Impeachment were first sent back to the House for compliance with the Constitution. In the upcoming session, he expects to revisit the issue of whether the 20th Congress still has jurisdiction, since the case was initiated in the 19th Congress.
According to Senate spokesperson Reginald Tongol, heated debates are expected when Dela Rosa's motion is discussed. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has requested that both the Senate and House submit information before it issues a decision regarding the request by VP Sara's camp to stay the trial.
VP Sara Duterte is facing allegations of unexplained wealth, misuse of confidential funds, and alleged threats to her life by President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and Rep. Martin Romualdez. According to the last Pulse Asia survey, 44% of Filipinos believe that the Senate is delaying the case instead of starting the trial immediately.
