UP Diliman: Begin Sara Duterte impeachment ‘without delay’

The University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Council urged senators on Thursday to begin the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte "without delay."

The council's statement came after the statement released by individual members of the UP College of Law.

Similarly, UP College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, Department of Political Science, and College of Media and Communication also issued their statements.

"Under the Constitution, once the House of Representatives has approved the Articles of Impeachment, the Senate must begin the trial without delay," the UP Council stressed.

"This is not just a suggestion: it is a duty. The Constitution uses the word 'forthwith,' meaning immediately.

The council said it is dismayed at the "naked attempts to slow down and even completely derail the impeachment trial."

The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, returned in June the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives pending two conditions, namely:

The House certifies that the impeachment complaint did not violate the one-year ban on filing an impeachment complaint, which only allows for one impeachment complaint filed against the subject impeachable official every year, and

The House in the 20th Congress, which will only start on 28 July, explicitly informs the Senate that it is still willing to prosecute the impeachment complaint against the Vice President.

For UP Diliman Council, the House of Representatives' decision "sets a dangerous precedent."

"This goes against what the Constitution prescribes and what the Filipino people deserve: truth, transparency, and accountability. Ignoring the Congressional impeachment of VP Duterte sends a message that powerful leaders are above scrutiny," it continued.

Citing the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) national survey, UP Diliman Council said most Filipinos want Duterte to respond to the charges and be given the chance to clear her name.

In the latest SWS poll released on 16 July, 66 percent of Filipinos believe that the Vice President should face the impeachment court to formally address charges against her.

"The only proper venue for this is a public trial in the Senate, where evidence can be presented, both sides can be heard, and the truth can come out."

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte in February for "high crimes," including corruption and an alleged assassination plot against her former ally and running mate, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

A guilty verdict in the Senate would result in Duterte's removal from office and a lifetime ban from Philippine politics.

Her trial is not expected to start until the new Senate convenes on 28 July.