'Scrap of paper': Escudero says no resolution yet to dismiss Sara trial
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Chiz Escudero denied there was a resolution in the Senate seeking to dismiss the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte over alleged corruption in her office.
Rumors of such a resolution circulated on June 4, adding fuel to allegations that the Senate was stalling the impeachment proceedings.
Further fueling speculation, Sen. Imee Marcos confirmed that such a resolution was circulating.
“Whatever resolution is going around without an author that was also just shown to me by the media is just a mere scrap of paper unless it is filed, unless it has an author, unless that has been voted on.,” Escudero told the media in Filipino.
In a separate interview, Duterte ally Sen. Bong Go said he had not seen any such resolution, noting that many documents come and go through his desk. He offered to help trace where the resolution originated.
The Senate has faced criticism, primarily from members of the House of Representatives, for allegedly delaying the impeachment trial to protect the vice president.
Escudero earlier moved the reading of the impeachment articles from June 2 to June 11, just days before the 19th Congress goes on break.
It was Bato all along
After Escudero's interview with the media, Sen. Bato Dela Rosa said that the resolution came from his office.
Dela Rosa, the police chief of former president turned International Criminal Court (ICC) detainee Rodrigo Duterte, initially played it clueless, saying that he was unaware of any such resolution being filed. Hours later however, he admitted the very opposite to the media. Asked if the resolution came from him, Dela Rosa answered in the affirmative.
The senator then added that the vice president did not instruct him to do so.
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