I’ve been trying to figure out why SP Chiz decided it was a good idea to put off for June 11 the convening of the Senate as impeachment court. Alam naman niya, at alam din natin, na siguradong pipigilan ito ng Duterte bloc, given the signals from the VP’s senator allies.
Could it be that he decided to put it all off for the last day of session para wala nang panahon for long plenary debates, time only to call for a vote (if at all) to “de facto” dismiss or not? meanwhile, quietly racking up enough votes against dismissal, while in the public sphere legal experts and constitutionalists happily explain and expound and lecture across media platforms on the Senate’s constitutional mandate to proceed with the impeachment trial, no ifs or buts?
Ang importante lang naman ay ang masimulan ng 19th Senate ang impeachment trial para maituloy ito ng 20th Senate. Ito na rin mismo ang say ni former Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolf Azcuna sa kanyang Facebook post of June 7.
As long as Senate President Escudero gets to start the process before the 19th Congress lapses … when the term of office of Representatives and outgoing Senators end, he will have done well. All he needs is to get the Articles read to the Senate and served on the Respondent. That will trigger the Senate’s jurisdiction over the case. The Senate in the 20th Congress can continue the process of proceeding with the trial.
… The Articles of Impeachment received by the Senate in the 19th Congress will not lapse with that Congress but will be carried over to the 20th Congress because Trial of Impeachment Cases is not a function of Legislative Power but it is a Constituent Power. It is lodged on the Senate specifically not under Art VI on Legislative Power but under Article XI on Accountability of Public Officers. So it does not fall under the rule that unfinished business lapses with the outgoing Congress because the Constitution says the opposite— that the trial must “proceed” meaning it must continue until it is finished. It cannot proceed if it is made to lapse. Since it must proceed, it follows that it does not lapse.
Sana talabán na rin, at mataúhan, ang mga tulad ni senator-elect Tito Sotto, the non-lawyer who’s gotten very critical of Chiz, and who can’t seem to get past Art VI — kailangan daw ay tinapos o natapos ng 19th Senate ang impeachment trial bago mag-adjourn sine die, kebs niya sa Art XI.
Hindi rin totoo ang say ni Sotto na SP Chiz “bushwhacked” anything. Sabi nga ni Pocholo Concepcion:
Tito Escalera: Chiz ‘bushwhacked’ VP impeachment complaint
Bushwhack as a transitive verb means to attack by surprise. Parang mali ang gamit e.
Sana ‘ignored’ na lang, para maintindihan naming mga alumni ng Wanbol University. #IskulBukol https://www.facebook.com/pocholo.concepcion.
Which drew this painfully hilarious comment from Bobbit Mariano:
Wala na pong textbook ang School Bukol on Philippine Constitution, binili lahat ng Senate dahil ngayon pa lang sila mag-babasa. May exam daw kayo, sabi ni Miss Tapia, on Article XI, specifically expounding the meaning of forthwith, at Essay exam on what is the meaning of public trust, sa Lunes June 9-11, ma-ngongopya na lang daw si Richie the Horsie. Naka-pag review na si Red ford White, nang hiram ng libro.
Yeah, reminds of the Escalera brothers. I’m actually surprised that Tito Sen doesn’t seem to know better than to be so cocksure. Already on social media meron nang nagpaalala na he was among those who voted with dancing queen Tessie Oreta and 9 others to not open the second envelope in the Erap trial. Oo nga, ayon din sa Wikipedia. He was for Erap then. Is he for Duterte now? Kaabang-abang.