Manila, Philippines — On Wednesday, April 29, the House Committee on Justice is set to conduct the fourth and final hearing of its impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.
This is part of the process in determining whether there is a probable cause to bring the impeachment case into full-blown trial.
House Justice Committee Chairperson Rep. Gerville Luistro said that several members of the panel have expressed sentiment in favor that there is a probable cause to proceed to trial.
If the House of Representatives pushes for the case and endorses it before the Upper Chamber, the Senate shall convene as an impeachment court that will determine whether Duterte will stay on her post or will be impeached totally.
In line with the possible impeachment trial, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson reminded fellow senators to uphold impartiality as potential senator-judges of the case.
In an interview, Lacson emphasized that Senator-Judges should remain impartial and act on the impeachment trial without bias and prejudice.
Lacson noted that senator-judges should not be showing personal support on either the prosecution nor the defense team, and shall respect the process of both sides.
He further added that any action that depicts prejudice may affect the credibility of the impeachment court.
Lacson said that the senators will be discussing about the possible impeachment trial, including the schedule so that the trial won’t affect the other legislative duties of the Upper Chamber.—Mia Layaguin, Eurotv News