Senator Christopher "Bong" Go said in his seconding speech during the Senate impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte, on Tuesday, June 10, questions whether due process is followed on the filing of the impeachment complaints.
While he also said that he desires accountability, all matters should be held in compliance to the rule of law. (Video courtesy of Senate of the Philippines)
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While he also said that he desires accountability, all matters should be held in compliance to the rule of law. (Video courtesy of Senate of the Philippines)
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NewsTranscript
00:00Mr. Presiding Officer, I just wish to give my remarks and second motion of Senator Judge Bato de la Rosa.
00:09I agree with the motion of Senator Judge Bato.
00:13Ang gusto nating kalabasan ng paglilitis na ito ay justisya, hindi politika.
00:21Mararating lang natin ito kung masasagot ang mga katanungang na hindi nabibigyan ng linaw hanggang ngayon.
00:28Kung kaya't sana naman, pag-aralan natin ito ng mabuti, tama na hindi dapat ito patagalin, pero hindi rin dapat ito madaliin.
00:39At the very least, pag-aralan natin ito ng mabuti, baka naman maaari natin itong ibalik o i-riman muna natin.
00:48Tama naman po ang accountability. Huwag lang pong politikahin.
00:52May tamang proseso ang impeachment. Dapat pag-aralan natin ito ng mabuti.
00:58Under Article 11, Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution, a verified complaint for impeachment may be filed by any member of the House of Representatives
01:12or by any citizen upon a resolution or endorsement by any member thereof,
01:18which shall be included in the order of business within 10 days and referred to the proper committee within three session days thereafter.
01:25On December 2, 2024, the first impeachment complaint endorsed by members of the House of Representatives
01:34was filed before the Secretary General of the Lower House.
01:38Second and third impeachment complaints were filed in the succeeding days, duly endorsed by members of the House.
01:46Under Section 3 of the House Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings,
01:51a verified complaint for impeachment shall be filed with the Office of the Secretary General
01:56and immediately referred to the Speaker.
02:00Despite this rule, Mr. Presiding Officer,
02:04the three impeachment complaints filed were never referred to the Office of the Speaker.
02:09Instead, a fourth verified impeachment complaint signed by more than 200 congressmen,
02:15which now constitutes the articles of impeachment was transmitted to the Senate,
02:21this brings into question the legality of such move when the Constitution provides that no impeachment proceeding
02:28shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year.
02:35Para sa ordinaryong mamamayan, at lalo na sa aming mga binigyan ng tungkulin na maging senator-judge sa paglilitis na ito,
02:43this opens up a lot of questions.
02:47At ang iniiwasan natin ay yung magpapasya tayo sa isang bagay na makaka-apekto sa buhay ng bawat Pilipino.
02:56Makaka-apekto sa trabaho natin na makatulong sa tao.
03:00Tapos hindi naman pala dumaan sa tamang proseso.
03:04Yes, we are senator-judges tasked to decide on this matter and we took an oath to be impartial.
03:14But this matter, whether it went through the right process or not, should be first decided upon and settled with no question prior to that.
03:23We are all for accountability.
03:27In fact, maganda nga sana mapakita ng accused at ng accusers kung maibidensya ba o wala.
03:35Pero bilang mga mababatas, dapat siguro duwing alinsunod ito sa batas at tamang proseso.
03:42Dapat hindi na-circumvent ang batas.
03:46Dapat nasunod ang due process at ang rules.
03:50Hindi pwede ang shortcut.
03:51But justice delayed is justice denied.
03:55And justice conducted the wrong way is no justice at all.
04:01Anong nangyari sa tatlong naunang impeachment complaints?
04:06Bakit hindi ito agad na-refer sa Speaker's Office?
04:09Bakit hindi ito isinama sa Order of Business within 10 session days?
04:14At bakit hindi ito in-refer sa tamang kumite within 3 session days after its inclusion in the Order of Business?
04:20As mandated by our Constitution?
04:24Tila din-refer lang ito at hindi pinaandar ang shot clock.
04:30Parang hindi po ma-technical sa oras.
04:34Sa basketball nga, hindi pwedeng puro dribble lang.
04:38May shot clock po yan.
04:39At may oras na dapat mo obserbahan.
04:41Pangalawang isyo na dapat bigyang linaw ay kung maaari bang tumawid ang impeachment case sa 20th Congress.
04:49This is the first time in our history that an impeachment case was filed nearing the expiration of a legislative Congress.
04:58The reality is, we do not have enough time to finish the impeachment trial this Congress.
05:05Mag-aabot na po ang 19th at 20th Congresses.
05:08At magkakaroon na ng new set of Senator Judges by June 30.
05:13Maging tayo, hindi magkasundo kung paano bang tumawid ito sa next Congress o hindi.
05:21Mr. Presiding Officer, ilan lang po ito sa katanungan na legality na hindi pa nasasagot.
05:26Mayroon pa pong pending sa Supreme Court challenging the legality of the impeachment case.
05:34Baka masayang lang ang oras natin dito if in the end, this complaint suffers from constitutional infirmities.
05:41Let us focus on what is important for our people that we serve.
05:46Justisya sa tamang paraan at servisyo na makakatulong sa mga Pilipino.
05:52Yun po ang kailangan ng taong bayan.
05:55Yun ang dapat pagtuunan ng pansin.
05:57Mr. Presiding Officer, para sa akin, mas mabuting unahin natin ang tunay nating trabaho.
06:04Ang pagsaservisyo sa taong bayan, maraming nasasayang na oras sa isyong ito na hindi naman mapapakinabangan ng ordinaryong Pilipino.
06:13This issue has already been too divisive.
06:18Ilang buwan na po.
06:21Magfocus sana tayo sa pangunahing mandato ng legisratura.
06:25Ang gumawa ng mga batas at magsulong sa mga programa na tunay na tutugon sa mga pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan.
06:32Lalong-lalo na po yung mga mahirap at walang ibang malalapitan kundi ang gobyerno.
06:38Marami pa pong mga pending bills po po hanggang ngayon na hindi pa natin natatapos with one working day na lang po.
06:48Baka hindi pa po may papasa.
06:53At ito po'y mapapakinabangan ng mga kababayan natin.
06:57Dapat yan po ang ating unahin.
07:00As raised by some of our colleagues yesterday,
07:03that in as far as the impeachment case is concerned,
07:06based on the results of the recent midterm elections,
07:10I believe the Filipino people have decided at ang kanilang desisyon,
07:16mas gusto po nilang tutukan natin ang trabaho at serbisyo.
07:20Tama na.
07:21Tigilan na natin ang pamumulitika.
07:24Tatlong taon na lang po matatapos na ang termino ng vice-presidente.
07:29Eleksyon na naman.
07:30At antayin nyo na lang sana.
07:34Ang importante sa ating mga kababayan ay may pagkain sa kanilang hapagkainan.
07:38May matibay na healthcare system na kayang tumugon sa pangangailangan ng may sakit,
07:45disenteng trabaho at marangal na pagkakakitaan,
07:49di kalidad at abot kayang edukasyon,
07:52at ang katiyakan at panatag na ligtas silang makakauwi kahit sa gabi.
07:59Hindi naman nakakain itong impeachment.
08:02Sana pwede ninyong ikonsidera,
08:05At the very least, bago tayo maglitis dito,
08:10siguruduin muna natin na nasa tama na prosesong tinahak natin dito.
08:16At the very least nga, sabi ko, marahil pwedeng ibalik o i-remand muna na ito sa pinagmulan
08:21sa House of Representatives.
08:25Dahil marami pa nga katanungan ang legally hindi nasasagot,
08:28mas mabuting siguruduin natin na sumunod sa proseso ang anumang kaso na ating diringgin
08:34para hindi masayang ang ating oras.
08:37Sangayon po ako na hindi natin ito dapat patagalin.
08:41Kahit si Vice President Sara Duterte gusto naman harapin ang kaso,
08:45ngunit wala rin dapat may gusto na madaliin po ito.
08:48Paano kung magsimula na tayo ngayon at magdesisyon ang Supreme Court
08:53na unconstitutional ang ginawang procedure ng House of Representatives?
08:58Paano kung sabihin nila na hindi pwedeng tumawid sa 20th Congress?
09:03Ano ang magiging aksyon natin?
09:05This puts us in a possible conflict with the decision of the Supreme Court.
09:10We must be prudent about this matter.
09:12Mr. Presiding Officer, I just want to reiterate,
09:17hindi ko po tinatelikuran ang aking sinumpaang mandato.
09:21Tungkulin ko yan as Senator Judge,
09:24kahit araw-araw tayong maglitis dito,
09:26but we would also be remiss of our duty
09:29kung hindi natin siguruduin na dumaan ito sa tamang prosesong nakasaad sa ating Constitution.
09:37At kilala ko po ang mga Duterte, Mr. Presiding Officer.
09:41Hindi sila tumatakas sa accountability,
09:45hindi sila tumatalikod sa hamon ng buhay,
09:49hindi sila tumatalikod sa kanilang tungkulin.
09:52Maraming beses nang sinabi ni dating Pangulong Duterte
09:55na handa nga siyang sumagot at harapin ang mga inaakosa sa kanya,
10:00pero dito po sa ating bayan, hindi sa ibang bansa.
10:05Nabanggit din po ni Vice President Sara Duterte
10:08na handa siyang harapin ang impeachment case laban sa kanya.
10:11Hindi ito isyo ng pagtakas sa accountability.
10:15Ang gusto natin dito, siguruduin na nasunod ang tamang proseso.
10:19We must respect and abide by the procedure laid out in our Constitution.
10:23Hindi pwedeng mamili lang tayo ng mga probisyon na ating susundin.
10:28We are all bound to the rule of law
10:30and we must follow due process.
10:33That is all, Mr. Presiding Officer.