BUSINESS groups want the Senate to prioritize constitutional duty and national interest over partisan politics in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a statement issued late on Sunday, the Makati Business Club (MBC) said the “unprecedented drama and chaos” on May 11, when Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives and senators seen as allied to her took over the Senate, had severely damaged the credibility of the upper chamber as an institution.
“The Makati Business Club respectfully reminds all our senators that the people elected you to serve the people and not pursue personal, political, or business interests,” the business group said.
Under the constitution, Duterte will be tried by the Senate. Her trial is scheduled to start in July.
Allan Peter Cayetano, the new Senate president, has come under fire for his actions following the leadership coup and the MBC said that it “if the public perceives the Senate President as someone who is purely partisan, and does not possess the necessary independence and moral ascendancy that such a position requires, public confidence in the institution is eroded.”
“At this important moment, we encourage senators to remain guided by the constitution, uphold institutional responsibility, and keep the broader national interest at the center of the process,” it added.
The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) likewise called on senators to restore the credibility of the Senate and strengthen public faith in the impeachment process.
The business group said the Senate’s constitutional duty to try the vice president demanded the highest degree of public trust and institutional credibility.
The MAP also noted that the trial would take place at a difficult moment, amid deep political divisions and widespread public outrage over the erosion of confidence in the Senate.
To strengthen the legitimacy of the impeachment process, MAP President Donald Lim called for a leadership “realignment ... that will place the proceedings on the firmest possible foundation of impartiality and fairness.”
“A Senate leadership that is widely regarded as objective and above partisan interest will help safeguard not only the rights of the accused and the integrity of the House prosecutors, but also the legitimacy of the Senate as an institution entrusted with constitutional responsibility,” he added.
The business group urged senators to remain steadfast in their fidelity to the Constitution, uphold the highest standards of institutional integrity and demonstrate credible and principled governance.
