THE convening of the Senate as an impeachment court augurs well for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong said Tuesday.
“We laud the Senate President and members of his majority for sticking to their word on the convening of the impeachment court. We expect that this is a portent of things to come,” Alonto Adiong, who chairs the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, said.
Alonto Adiong said the actual trial of Vice President Duterte, during which she can rebut the strong evidence of the House prosecution panel against her, should soon proceed.
“After the preliminaries like compliance with the requirements of due process, the trial should get underway. And it should be free from politics, distraction and obstruction,” he said.
Alonto Adiong noted that by requiring the Vice President to answer the impeachment charges within a “non-extendible” period of 10 days and the prosecution to present a counter-response within five days, which cannot also be extended, the impeachment court is observing due process.
“Though the Senate president announced that trial would be set at some future time after due process prerequisites are met, we hope there would be no delay in the trial. We are holding the Senate leadership and senator-judges to their word,” Alonto Adiong said.
Alonto Adiong said the sooner the Senate impeachment court renders a decision, the better for the nation.
