Harapan 2025: Sotto says technicalities to hound Sara Duterte impeachment | ABS-CBN

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Harapan 2025: Sotto says technicalities to hound Sara Duterte impeachment

Harapan 2025: Sotto says technicalities to hound Sara Duterte impeachment

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

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MANILA — Former Senate President Vicente Sotto III believes that technicalities will hound the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte arising from the timing of the impeachment complaints.

Sotto urged the House of Representatives to tackle the complaints the Vice President is facing over the use of funds.

"Well, there is an issue on timing dito sa mga pinag-uusapan nila," Sotto told ABS-CBN's Harapan.

"What I can probably give as my input is that always, pagdating sa impeachment, ang mga legislators, especially the Senate, must be impartial. At yung proseso ay dapat sundin. Kung merong nag-file ng impeachment, dapat asikusuhin ng House ang dapat inasikaso niya,” he added.

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Sotto explained that the adjournment of Congress for the campaign and the sine die adjournment pose questions that will be the subject of debates, noting that there are two schools of thought as to whether the complaints can cross over into the Congress that will be elected by the May 2025 elections.

"At kung ito naman ay makakarating sa Senado, ito rin ay dapat take up nila. But again, as I said earlier, medyo may problema sa timing because in about one or two weeks from now, I think they will go on a break. And if they do, then the resumption would be first week of June, something like that. There is an issue or there will be a debate on whether it has a carryover effect or not. Yun ang isa sa mga pagdedebatihan nila dyan at pag-uusapan nila. Sapagkat merong thought, merong trend of thought saying that because there are 12 senators who will cross over into the 20th Congress, that means may carryover at pwedeng ituloy kung may makasampang impeachment sa kanila. Bagama’t, meron din on the other side, ang sasabihin naman, eh adjourne sine die kayo eh, pagdating ng June. Adjournment sine die and therefore, no day, without day, ang ibig sabihin nun eh, without day ang Congress. So yung 19th Congress will end. So that is the other side of the debate. So, I don't know how they will resolve that. As I said, bottom line, my sense is that dito sa isyu ng impeachment, timing ang problema,” Sotto explained.

He doubts that any impeachment now will be finished quickly.

"Kung masasampa yun, I mean, I'm sorry, hindi pa-file, naka-file na nga pala. Kung makakasampa sa Senado, I don't think they'll be able to finish that by June. Baka rules pa lang pinagdedebatehan nila, baka mga two weeks na yan. So, it will carry over into the next Congress. So, kung talagang meron silang sense or ang issue roon yung sa impeachment ay may substance and tama ang inform and they submit it, then the next Congress will have to tackle it,” Sotto said.

Sotto joined Harapan by Zoom because he was taping his show in TV5 and he would have to pass by EDSA where a pro-impeachment rally was being held.

"Kasi, una sa lahat, meron akong taping ongoing dito sa TV5. At bukod doon, medyo ang hirap ng daan sa EDSA from this place to yours dahil doon sa ongoing concert rally na nangyayari mula kanina umaga pa hanggang ngayon. So malabo ako makarating sa oras diyan at malabo rin ako makabalik dito pagkatapos ng ating Harapan,” Sotto said.

Sotto, meantime, sidestepped a question on his thoughts about the break up of the alliance of the Vice President and President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

"Well, for me, it's not an issue. It's not an issue. What matters is that you're elected in your position, gawin mo, gampanan mo. Ganun yan. Yung ika nga'y affiliation with other groups or other political organizations, dapat should not have anything to do with your job. Just do your job,” Sotto explained.

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