Ridon: House prosecutors will attend 18 May Senate session

Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon stated that members of the House prosecution panel will be attending the Senate’s session on 18 May when it is set to officially convene as an impeachment court for the trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a statement, Ridon expressed that Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s recent announcement concerning the impeachment was a welcome development in the constitutional process.

“Maaasahan din po na ‘yon pong kabuuan ng House Prosecution Panel ay magpupunta rin po dito sa araw na ito para saksihan ‘yon pong pag-convene ng Senate Impeachment Court,” he said.

The solon is just one out of the 11 lawmakers who were selected on 12 May to make up the prosecution panel that will present the Articles of Impeachment and evidence against Duterte.

Aside from Ridon, the lawmakers named as prosecutors were:

Kaka Bag-ao of Dinagat Islands; Joel Chua of Manila’s 3rd District; Lorenz Defensor of Iloilo’s 3rd District; Leila de Lima of Mamamayang Liberal Partylist; Chel Diokno of Akbayan Partylist; Keith Flores of Bukidnon’s 2nd District; Rodge Gutierrez of 1-Rider Partylist; Gerville Luistro of Batangas’ 2nd District; Lordan Suan of Cagayan de Oro’s 1st District; and Ysabel Zamora of San Juan.

Senate to convene as impeachment court.

Speaking during a press conference, Cayetano confirmed to reporters that he had instructed the Senate Secretariat to include the Articles of Impeachment in the Calendar of Ordinary Business of the Senate.

He asserted that no member of the newly formed Senate majority bloc had plans on amending the rules of impeachment, noting that doing so would just delay the proceedings.

The senator further added that the Senate leadership was in the midst of drafting a timeline for the impeachment that would abide by the constitution.

“There will be no delay. We will follow what is in the rules and the Constitution,” he said.

Cayetano expressed that there had been no talks within the Senate majority to oppose the proceedings.