MANILA – The Senate’s move to send the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio back to the House of Representatives was a “dangerous precedent,” said Iloilo’s Cong. Lorenz Defensor.
According to Defensor, the House impeachment prosecution team is set to discuss its next moves following the senator-judges’ decision to remand the complaint.
“The Senate made a dangerous precedent. It was a clear breach of their duty at saka a breach of public trust,” Defensor said in an interview with DZMM. “To remand is not an option; it is either acquit or convict after trial.”
“Malinaw na pagsagasa ito sa ating Konstitusyon at sa ating demokrasya,” he added. “We just have to sit down and discuss what is the most appropriate action to address the action of the Senate.”
San Juan City’s Cong. Ysabel Maria “Bel” Zamora, another member of House prosecution team, also questioned the action of the Senate.
“Kami nanonood buong gabi, nagulat, na-shock sa ginawang aksyon ng ating senators. Kasi for us, remanding the Articles of Impeachment back to Congress is beyond the powers of the Senate,” Zamora told DZBB.
“Remanding it or returning it to Congress is an act of review of the Senate. Hindi nga po ito trabaho ng Senado as an impeachment court dahil ang trabaho nila as impeachment court is to try and decide the case,” she added.
Zamora added that the House did not violate the one-year bar rule of impeachment, an issue that the lower chamber already addressed when they filed the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte-Carpio.
“Wala po tayong nilabag sa Kongreso na batas. I think they were referring to the first three impeachment complaints,” Zamora said.
On Tuesday evening, the Senate as an impeachment court, in an 18-5-0 voting, decided to return to the House the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte-Carpio without dismissing or terminating them./PN
