MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives has impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, but does this spell the end for her? Not quite yet.
Rappler’s congressional reporter Dwight de Leon provides the rundown of a historic moment in the House and an outlook of the things to come in this Rappler Recap.
What the House did on Wednesday, February 5, was a political process similar to an indictment. By impeaching the Vice President, the lower chamber formally slapped the charges against her, but it does not automatically equate to removal from public office.
That decision lies in the hands of the Senate, which has received the articles of impeachment against Duterte on the grounds of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
Eleven House lawmakers will serve as prosecutors, namely:
- Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro
- Antipolo City 2nd District Representative Romeo Acop
- 1-Rider Representative Rodge Gutierrez
- Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua
- Ako Bicol Representative Jil Bongalon
- General Santos Representative Loreto Acharon
- Eastern Samar 4th District Representative and Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan
- Oriental Mindoro 1st District Representative Arnan Panaligan
- San Juan Representative Isabel Maria Zamora
- Iloilo 3rd District Representative Lawrence Defensor
- Bukidnon 2nd District Representative Jonathan Keith Flores
Twenty-three senators (one seat was made vacant by now-education secretary Sonny Angara last year) will serve as trial judges, with Senate President Chiz Escudero presiding.
Based on Senate rules, the upper chamber must specify the time and date it will start deliberate on the articles, and shall “continue in session from day to day (except Saturdays, Sundays, and nonworking holidays) until final judgment shall be rendered, and so much longer as may, in its judgment, be necessary.”
The complication lies on when the Senate will schedule the trial as it already went on a months-long break on Wednesday, and will not convene until June 2, or after the midterm elections.
The House transmitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate on Wednesday, but did not take any action, raising questions on whether a trial could take place during the break. It is important to note thought that Escudero said in December that his chamber can convene as an impeachment court during the break.
Six senators are up for reelection: Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Bong Revilla and Francis Tolentino from the administration slate; and Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa from PDP, the party of former president Rodrigo Duterte. National elective aspirants traditionally go around the country to campaign in the run-up to the elections, so the timing of the impeachment push tightens their schedule.
More importantly, impeachment trials, which are televised and in the past were watched by millions, create moments that could make or break a politician’s career. For the reelectionist senators, it will be a careful balancing act between keeping the pro-Marcos base happy, and not upsetting the pro-Duterte base.
If Duterte gets convicted by the Senate via a two-thirds vote, she will follow in the footsteps of the late former chief justice Renato Corona, who was removed from his post and disqualified from holding public office.
The clashing interests in the Senate give Duterte some wiggle room though: she only needs eight lawmakers to vote in favor of her acquittal. In the US, president Donald Trump was impeached twice by the House, but was acquitted both times by the Senate.
Duterte can also do what former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and former Commission on Elections chairman Andres Bautista did — resign and not risk the possibility of conviction. – Rappler.com