INC boosts VP Sara
By Farah G. Decano
LOOKS like Vice President Sara Z. Duterte has gotten herself a formidable support from the bloc-voting Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC). The INC did not merely release a statement of opposition against her supposed impeachment. Rather, the INC issued a threat of nationwide rallies.
Thirteen years ago, the same religious sect held rallies against the removal of Chief Justice Renato Corona via the constitutional process of impeachment. Despite the INC support, the latter was convicted by the Senate primarily for understating his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN).
Perhaps, the INC’s protestation will not go unnoticed this time. Unlike Chief Justice Corona’s trial which started about two years prior to the next elections, VP Sara’s impeachment process was initiated too close to the next polls which is scheduled to happen in the next six months. Every politician knows how the INC can influence the results of the democratic process in the local and national scene. Allegedly, it has around 7 million voters worldwide. With the present tight race for a senate seat, who among the senators will dare cross the INC?
Even assuming that the impeachment complaint has already been endorsed to the Senate, how many of those who wish to VP Sara out will be successful in their election bid despite the INC threat?
Those allied with the administration in the Senate may possibly manipulate the schedule of the trial to last a bit after the elections. By that time, the sitting senators would probably be free from the sway of the INC and the pressures of their reelection bid and perhaps will be able to render their judgment before June 30.
They should resolve the impeachment trial before the end of the term of the sitting congressmen and some of the senators on June 30 to evade the possibility of the Supreme Court striking down the process and ordering the refiling of the impeachment complaint anew if the trial goes beyond the cut-off date. The Highest Court may reason out that the House of Representatives, which acts as the prosecutor in an impeachment proceeding, no longer have the same composition as that which filed the complaint. The same ratiocination goes for the Senate, too. If that happens, all efforts and resources would have gone to waste.
It the trial of VP Sara cannot be decided on or before June 30, then perhaps the anti-VP Sara groups can rely on the 1950 case of Arnault v. Nazareno wherein the Supreme Court pronounced that the Senate is a continuous body despite the end of the legislative session. Once the Upper House has taken jurisdiction filed by the Lower House, then it can continue to hear the same. The House with a new composition of legislators may only withdraw the case upon approval of the Senate.
If the anti-VP Sara peeps fail to get the 2/3rd vote to get her impeached, which has the penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, then they can prepare and make out cases for violations of the the Graft and Corruption Practices Act, Plunder Law, Revised Penal Code, Omnibus Election Code, and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. These cases may be filed simultaneously with the impeachment trial so as not to waste time.. The anti-VP Sara people only have until June 30, 2028 to secure a final conviction and seek the same penalty – perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
Should the anti-VP Sara groups still fail to secure a timely conviction in any of the cases with penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding office, the likes of Speaker Martin Romualdez, First Lady Lisa Marcos , Representative Sandro Marcos, the QuadCom members, the Makabayan and Akbayan congressmen should start screaming. What did they say again about a scorned woman? What if the scorned woman rises to become the most powerful in the Philippines? VP Sara is still of presidentiable timbre now that the INC has her back.
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
