By Wilnard Bacelonia
MANILA – The Senate and House of Representatives’ respective secretariats have begun the formal review of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte after the official transmittal of documents to the Senate in Pasay City on Wednesday.
The review is needed before the complaint will be included as among the topics during the plenary which could happen by June since the Senate’s last regular session ended Wednesday and will resume on June 2.
Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. accepted the voluminous documents from House Secretary General Reginald Velasco, marking the next phase in the impeachment process.
“Thank you very much. It is my duty as well to receive this transmittal from the honorable House of Representatives, represented by the secretary general,” Bantug said during the turnover.
The impeachment complaint, endorsed by 215 House members and approved in plenary, will undergo a thorough examination by Senate staff.
Bantug assured that every page of the document would be accounted for.
“Of course, I would not want to burden the Secretary General with the cumbersome duty of going over the impeachment complaint and assessing it one by one, but just so we’re clear — the Senate received exactly what the House transmitted, each and every page, nothing missing, nothing lacking,” he said.
To ensure accuracy, Bantug requested additional House staff to assist in the verification process.
“I just hope that you can assign one or two of your staff to help my staff as well in going over [the documents]. That might take a while,” he added.
Velasco also turned over the House’s decision to appoint 11 prosecutors, all House members, who will present the case before the Senate.
With the formal receipt of the complaint, Senate and House staff have started a document-by-document review, setting the stage for the next steps in the impeachment proceedings.
Plenary session
Senator Joel Villanueva on Wednesday said any impeachment complaint as well as the establishment of an impeachment court has to be discussed during a regular session.
“There has to be a plenary action first. Everything we do, including the declaration of senators sitting as an impeachment court, needs plenary action. It is the plenary action that will give us the go signal,” Villanueva told reporters.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa said the impeachment rap would likely be taken up after the May 12 midterm elections.
“Most likely, if the articles of impeachment are transmitted to us, we will already be on break. So, the earliest we can tackle that in plenary is after the elections,” he said.
Dela Rosa said the possibility of the complaint being discussed by senators while they are on recess is “something we will discuss.”
“Let’s see. But from what I’ve heard in our discussions, it seems likely that we will tackle it after the elections,” he added. (PNA)
