Lacson seeks faster VP Sara impeachment trial

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday proposed several measures to speed up the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, including requiring witnesses scheduled for the week to remain at the Senate so proceedings can continue without unnecessary delays.

Lacson said the proposal would help maximize the limited hearing days while protecting Duterte’s right to a speedy trial without compromising due process.

“One of my suggestions is for the defense or prosecution to line up their witnesses for the entire week and have them stay in the holding room. If we finish with one witness early, the day will not be wasted,” Lacson said in an interview over dzBB.

He stressed that the goal is not to rush the presentation of evidence, but to avoid idle court time.

Lacson noted that last Wednesday’s proceedings ended early because the next scheduled witness, National Bureau of Investigation regional director Jeremy Lotoc, was not yet at the Senate. 

If the current pace of nearly one witness a week continues, Lacson warned, the trial could stretch until December or beyond.

Lacson added that Senate impeachment court presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero was receptive to the proposal.

He said the senator-judges may discuss in caucus this week the scope of questioning during the trial, particularly exchanges involving fellow senator-judges, after one such exchange reportedly consumed about an hour on the trial’s opening day.

Lacson urged the impeachment court to resolve early the issue of the required voting threshold for conviction to avoid the possibility of the Supreme Court overturning the outcome on grounds of grave abuse of discretion.

He said clarifying the constitutional requirement before the trial concludes would provide guidance to the senator-judges when they eventually vote on the case.

Meanwhile, Lacson said he would oppose any move to open the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s “green box” containing Duterte’s tax records without the written authority of the President, saying such a move would violate Sections 71 and 270 of the National Internal Revenue Code and existing Supreme Court jurisprudence.

“Even if we are an impeachment court, we cannot be above the law,” Lacson said.

The impeachment court will continue on July 13 to 15 to hear oral arguments on requests for subpoenas covering Duterte’s tax records, bank records and documents from the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

Chiz: I didn’t seek presiding officer’s role

Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Escudero said he neither sought nor requested to preside over Duterte’s impeachment trial, stressing he is simply carrying out a responsibility assigned to him.

Speaking on his podcast yesterday, Escudero said he accepted the role out of duty to the Senate and the impeachment court.

“I did not want this, I did not ask for it and I did not seek it. But I will not turn my back on the responsibility entrusted to me to help the Senate and the impeachment court get through this chapter in our history,” he said.

Escudero said this was also the reason he abstained during the July 6 vote to elect the Senate impeachment court’s presiding officer.

Because of his abstention, only 12 senator-judges voted in favor of his designation.

Escudero also dismissed suggestions that he was under pressure in handling the impeachment proceedings.

He said serving as presiding officer is part of a senator’s duties when designated to the post, noting that his role is to act as a neutral referee between the prosecution and the defense.

“There is no pressure because it is simply part of the work that a senator may be called upon to perform as presiding officer. My role is to serve as a referee between the parties,” Escudero said.