Hontiveros: Sara Duterte trial delay ‘obstruction dressed as protocol’

Senator Risa Hontiveros and Vice President Sara Duterte (PHOTOS: SENATE PRIB, FB/DUTERTE)

MANILA,  Philippines — For Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the continued delays in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte are no longer procedural but “obstructions dressed up as protocol.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a ball being dribbled for four months. Even in basketball, there’s a shot clock,” Hontiveros said in a statement on Tuesday.

Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5. The charges include alleged misuse of confidential funds in her office and at the Department of Education, which she previously led.

She was also accused of threatening to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, as well as failing to fully disclose her assets in her statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth.

All these charges were contained in the Articles of Impeachment that the House transmitted to the Senate for trial on February 5.

READ: Senate goes on break without tackling impeach bid vs VP Duterte

Until now, the Senate has yet to convene as an impeachment court, pending the presentation of charges against Duterte by the House panel of prosecutors.

This left Hontiveros wondering, as she noted that the convening of the impeachment court and the start of the trial are “expressly mandated” by the Constitution.

“In those four months, I’ve been called eager, aggressive, impatient, atat (overly eager). But the simple truth is this: We are not rushing. In fact, we have been waiting. The Filipino people are waiting. And we believe four months is more than enough,” she said.

“These delays are no longer procedural. They are obstructions dressed up as protocol,” she added.

Despite this, Hontiveros said she would not turn her back on the Senate’s duty of demanding accountability through the process of impeachment.

“It’s time to follow the rules and start the process ‘forthwith’. Enough games. Time to move,” she added.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero originally scheduled the presentation of the Articles of Impeachment on June 2 but rescheduled it to June 11 to allow Congress to pass priority legislation.

READ: Presentation of impeachment articles vs Sara Duterte moved to June 11

According to him, the Senate can only convene as an impeachment court after the presentation of charges against Duterte./mcm