Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel. Photo:Senate/Facebook

MANILA, Philippines – Following his still unanswered letter to Senate President Chiz Escudero pleading for the immediate commencement of the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said he plans to write a second letter with the same subject matter. 

“Magrerquest ako ng caucus para maexplain niya yung position niya sa mga senador pagbigyan niya rin ako ng time explain ko ‘yung position ko,” Pimentel said in the regular Kapihan sa Senado forum, Thursday (February 20). 

Pimentel first wrote a letter to Escudero asking him to swiftly act on the impeachment complaint. Questions about how the Senate will handle the case had been hogging headlines since the filing of the complaints given the transmittal of the articles on the last day of the 19th Congress. 

Pimentel believes the Constitution demands the Senate to act on the complaint without delay noting the use of the word “forthwith” in the law.

The outgoing senator said the dictionary defines “forthwith” as being without any delay. 

Escudero however had always maintained his position that trial will commence only once the Congress enters into function on June 2. 

He said the impeachment of Duterte should be no different from past impeachment cases that commence right after Senate breaks. Escudero is also firm that there is no legal basis for the impeachment without first being taken up on the plenary. 

Duterte’s impeachment was based on Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education during her stint as secretary.

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