MANILA – The Senate has opted to postpone the presentation of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio to June 11 instead of earlier schedule of June 2.
According to Senate President Francis Escudero, the development is aimed at allowing Congress to act on urgent priority measures before its sine die adjournment.
Escudero added in his letter to House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez that the decision was made after a meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) on May 29.
The Council identified 12 priority bills that lawmakers are expected to deliberate and pass within the final six session days of the 19th Congress:
* Amendments to the Foreign Investors’ Long-Term Lease Act
* E-Governance Act
* Open Access in Data Transmission (Konektadong Pinoy Act)
* Rationalization of the Fiscal Mining Regime
* Amendments to the Universal Health Care Act
* Virology Institute of the Philippines
* Government Optimization Act
* Amendments to the Right-of-Way Act
* Fixed Term of Office for Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Officials
* Judicial Fiscal Autonomy
* Denatured Alcohol Tax
* Anti-POGO Act
“With only six session days before the sine die adjournment, it is imperative for the Senate and the House of Representatives to prioritize the passage of these measures, consistent also with the administration’s thrust to align our government with the people’s needs and expectations,” Escudero said.
Escudero also pointed to the pending confirmation of more than 200 presidential appointments, including three Cabinet secretaries, four constitutional commission officials, 39 foreign service officers, and 277 Armed Forces of the Philippines officers, by the Commission on Appointments upon the legislature’s resumption on June 2.
The presentation of the impeachment articles is a prerequisite to convening the Senate as an impeachment court. The new schedule sets the formal transmission at 4 p.m. on June 11.
The impeachment complaint stemmed from the House good government and public accountability panel’s inquiry on the use of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Duterte-Carpio’s leadership./PN
