MANILA, Philippines — Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Wednesday questioned the motive of the defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte on their filing a petition before the Supreme Court to halt the impeachment trial.
Duterte’s lawyers filed a Very Urgent Manifestation with Motion before the high tribunal to question the installation of Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero as presiding officer of the Senate impeachment court.
“As far as we know, this is consistent with the Constitution; many legal luminaries—including former Supreme Court Justice (Adolfo) Azcuna—have stated that it is constitutional, given that there is no specific provision prohibiting someone other than the Senate President from presiding over an impeachment trial,” Castro said in Filipino in a briefing.
“They certainly have the right to go to the Supreme Court, but what exactly are they afraid of if a lawyer were to preside over the impeachment proceedings?” she added.
Instead of Duterte’s camp resorting to technicalities, they should instead persuade the vice president to address head on the allegations of culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and the alleged misuse of confidential funds against her.
“The public would probably prefer to hear the vice president deny the allegations against her instead of raising technicalities in their defense,” Castro said.
