THE House of Representatives recognizes the Senate bloc led by Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian as the group capable of convening both the Senate and the Senate impeachment court, House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said Saturday.
Ridon made the statement amid the ongoing leadership dispute in the Senate, which has raised questions about which group can validly convene the chamber and proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.
Guesting at the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City, Ridon said the House views the Gatchalian-led bloc as the only group with sufficient numbers to convene both the Senate plenary and the impeachment court.
“Ang pagtingin naman po natin sa bahagi ng House of Representatives, meron na pong pag-recognize doon po kay Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian,” Ridon said.
According to Ridon, concerns about rival impeachment proceedings are misplaced because only one bloc currently has the support needed to open proceedings.
“Sa tingin naman po natin, hindi mangyayari na magkakaroon po ng magkahiwalay na trials, sapagkat iisa lang naman po ‘yung grupo na meron pong kapasidad na makapag-convene, una ng plenaryo, pangalawa ng Senate impeachment court,” he said.
“Wala pong iba kundi sa pangunguna po ni Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian,” he said.
The leadership dispute erupted after 11 senators moved to oust Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, while 11 others remained aligned with him.
The split came amid the absence of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who remains in hiding following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court, and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who is under detention for plunder and other cases.
The deadlock was broken when Sen. Francis Escudero joined the anti-Cayetano bloc, giving the group led by Gatchalian a 12-member majority.
The Gatchalian bloc maintains that 12 senators are sufficient to constitute a quorum because only 22 senators are currently available to participate in Senate proceedings.
Ridon said the issue ultimately comes down to which Senate bloc has enough members to validly convene both the chamber and the impeachment court.
“So I think that point needs to be made. Kasi nga, siya lang ho ‘yung pwede, ‘yung grupo lang ho niya ‘yung pwedeng magbukas dahil siya po yung merong bilang para makapag-convene ang Senate impeachment court,” he said, referring to Gatchalian.
The House prosecution panel is currently preparing for the impeachment trial of Duterte, with pre-trial proceedings expected in mid-June and the formal trial set to begin on July 6.
Despite the Senate leadership dispute, Ridon said the prosecution remains focused on presenting its case before the impeachment court.
