THE Constitution is clear: once the House transmits an impeachment complaint to the Senate, it is the Senate’s constitutional duty to convene as an impeachment court—no ifs, no buts, no excuses.
And yet, nearly four months have passed since the House adopted and transmitted the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte. What have we heard from the Senate? Waffling. Waiting. Whispers of delay.
Sabi ni Senate President Escudero, “pinag-aaralan” pa raw niya ang mga patakaran. Pero ang tanong: ano pa ang kailangang pag-aralan kung malinaw ang mandato?
Huwag na tayong maglokohan. This is no longer about legal preparedness. This is about political will.
We are seeing the early signs of dribbling. Delay tactics na dinisenyo para mapagod ang publiko, para humupa ang momentum, para mailigtas ang makapangyarihan.
Paalala lang: nakatingin sa inyo ang mga Pilipino. Napanood na nila ang palabas na yan. Hindi niyo na sila maloloko.
This is not merely a question of whether the Vice President will be convicted. This is about whether the truth will even be allowed into the room. Whether the evidence will see the light of day. Whether the Senate will do its job, or quietly surrender its role as the last forum of accountability.
When powerful figures are accused of grave abuse, silence is complicity. Delay is betrayal.
To the Senate: You are not gatekeepers of convenience. You are stewards of the Constitution. The responsibility now rests on your shoulders. You must rise to meet it.
Let the trial begin.
- Rep.-Elect Leila M. de Lima
ML Partylist