By Wilnard Bacelonia
MANILA – The impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte will reach the trial stage at the Senate.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa said he expects such a scenario and no one can stop the House of Representatives from pursuing it.
“I am expecting the worst. Magkakaroon talaga ng (There will really be an) impeachment,” Dela Rosa said during a virtual press briefing on Friday,
“Let them do their thing at pagdating dito sa Senado, pag-upo namin (and when it arrives here in the Senate, when we sit) as (an) impeachment court, then let us do our thing also,” he added.
Dela Rosa, however, emphasized that the budget cut on the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed 2025 budget by both the House and Senate should not be “indicative” of the future result of an impeachment trial.
The senator confirmed that more than 10 senators voted to increase the OVP’s budget but all eventually agreed to adopt the House version because of the “strong words” from the Senate leadership.
“Iba tayo pagdating sa impeachment court. Lalabas at lalabas ‘yung totoong sentimyento nung 24 senators na yan. May kanya-kanyang stand ‘yan (We are different as an impeachment court. The true sentiments of the 24 senators will really come out. They each have their own stand),” Dela Rosa said.
Senate President Francis Escudero earlier said they are obliged to take action on any impeachment complaint filed in the chamber even during the adjournment of the regular session of Congress. (PNA)
