THE Senate impeachment court controls the pace of the impeachment trial of Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio, the House prosecution panel said on Tuesday, rejecting a senator’s claim that proceedings are being rushed.
“First of all, we are in no position to rush things. So that statement, I think, is not relevant,” Batangas Rep. and House lead prosecutor Gerville R. Luistro said in Filipino during a press briefing on Tuesday.
“It is the impeachment court which has or is in the position to control the proceedings, that is not in the hands of the prosecution,” she added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos questioned whether the proceedings were being expedited to coincide with US President Donald J. Trump’s expected visit and the conclusion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) events.
“We can really feel that there is a rush; my only question is, what’s the rush?” Ms. Marcos told reporters in Filipino.
“Are we really just going to show off because President Trump is arriving and ASEAN is ending, suddenly just short-cutting the sequence of events?” she added in Filipino.
Manila Rep. Joel R. Chua, a member of the prosecution panel, questioned whether Ms. Marcos’ remarks were appropriate given her role as a senator-judge in the impeachment proceedings.
“Doesn’t it seem inappropriate for a senator-judge to make this kind of comment?” Mr. Chua said in Filipino, raising questions about whether the sub judice principle should also apply to senator-judges.
Ms. Luistro said the panel considered the interests of the public and the impeachment court in deciding to withdraw three of the four articles of impeachment and focus on the remaining charge concerning alleged unexplained wealth.
“We will swim and swim; we will rise and rise; we will live and live in Article 2,” she said.
The defense is scheduled to resume presenting its case on Nov. 9. — Pexcel John Bacon