‘Duterte’s arrest won’t affect VP impeachment’

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate’s tentative start of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on June 30 will push through despite former president Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and transport to The Hague, one of the House prosecutors in the impeachment trial said.

“(Duterte’s arrest) will have no effect. This is a totally distinct and separate case from the impeachment complaint,” Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon said yesterday at a news briefing.

As far as he is concerned, the Vice President will just be losing a valuable member of her defense team following the arrest of her father.

“This case is unprecedented. Former president Duterte is the first Filipino to be arrested and soon to be tried at the International Criminal Court. So we will let the Supreme Court decide on it. We hope the SC will decide over this issue with justice,” Bongalon said.

“The House prosecutors are meeting regularly and we have already prepared ourselves with our tasks and assignments,” he added.

While the technical process of crafting impeachment rules is straightforward, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino finds it difficult, saying it goes against his principles.

“I consider the impeachment process very divisive,” he said, emphasizing the potential impact on national unity.

Tolentino hopes that the country remains focused on progress and governance, rather than political conflicts.

Tolentino is expected to play a key role in shaping the impeachment procedures as chairman of Senate committee on rules.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III expressed his willingness to lead the drafting of impeachment rules through a special subcommittee, as recommended by Tolentino.

Pimentel said he could take on the task of spearheading a Senate subcommittee on drafting Senate impeachment rules since there are only five lawyers in the Senate.