House Committee on Justice member and Akbayan Party-List Rep. Chel Diokno during a forum discussing the possible joint exploration of the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea on Thursday.
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A solon questioned Vice President Sara Duterte’s unwillingness to participate in the impeachment proceedings regarding accusations against her, echoing a sentiment he said was shared among fellow House Committee on Justice members.
“Matagal na namin sinasabi to eh, ‘Why not face the proceedings?’ if they are sinasabi nila confident naman sila na wala naman pagkakasala si Vice President o ‘di bakit hindi humarap at matapos na agad yung proseso,” said Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno during a radio program this Friday.
(We’ve been saying it for a long time, ‘Why not face the proceedings?’ if they are as confident as they claim regarding the Vice President’s innocence, then why don’t they face the committee so we can get the process over with)
Diokno made the remark following a second petition filed from Duterte’s camp to the Supreme Court, seeking a suspension and a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the Justice panel to suspend its ongoing hearings into the latter’s impeachment.
However, in response to the said petitions, the high court held back and merely ordered the House to respond to the plea within a 10-day period.
This development meant that the committee was allowed to proceed with its scheduled meeting set for next Tuesday, 14 April.
The lawmaker noted that its upcoming hearing was going to allow the Justice panel to examine the evidence and testimonies presented by various agencies and individuals to determine if the complaints can be endorsed to plenary.
“Bukas parin ang pinto ng Committee on Justice kung gusto nilang mag-attend, pero syempre nasa sakanila yun,” Diokno said regarding Duterte’s participation in the hearings.
(The door of the Committee on Justice is still open if they want to attend, but of course that is up to them)
“If they decide not to participate then that’s up to them, pero hindi siya magiging hadlang sa pag presenta ng ebidensya sa Martes,” he added.
(It will not serve as a barrier in the presentation of evidence on Tuesday)
Diokno also sought to further dismiss notions from Duterte and critics that have repeatedly claimed that the committee was conducting a “fishing expedition,” claiming that they were going beyond their duty by gathering evidence.
“The Committee is not looking for anything new, it’s solely based on what is alleged on the complaint, ang gusto lang namin ay sigurado tayo na nandun ang ebidensya, makikita namin, ma-eevaluate namin, para matapos ang trabaho namin,” he explained.
(What we want is to be sure that there is evidence, we see it, we can evaluate it, so we can finish our job)
Asked how long he thought the hearings would go on, the solon claimed that the remaining three scheduled dates this April were going to be enough time for the committee to vote on the complaints’ sufficiency.
Based on the recent issuance of subpoenas of the House, key witnesses Atty. Michael Wesley Poa and Ramil Madriaga have been ordered to testify for their knowledge of the alleged misuse of confidential funds of the Vice President.
Meanwhile, agencies such as the Office of the Ombudsman, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Securities and Exchange Commission were asked to present documents pertaining to the allegations against Duterte.
