By Mon Datol
MANILA, Philippine – Veteran election lawyer Romulo Macalintal expressed serious doubts that the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte would prosper saying that time not political maneuvering could be the biggest obstacle.
Macalintal, in an interview posted online over the weekend, said that If the impeachment case against the Vice President starts being heard on June 2, said case is already dead.
The case, based on allegations of misuse of confidential funds and issuing threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, was filed on Feb. 5.
With 215 lawmakers endorsing it, far surpassing the required one-third of the House, the complaint was supposed to swiftly proceed to the Senate for trial, as mandated by the Constitution.
The swift transition, however, never happened. When Congress adjourned on Feb. 5, the articles of impeachment had not yet been forwarded to the Senate plenary, stalling the process for months.
Macalintal said this is too little, too late, saying: “The present Senate no longer has time — its term ends by June 30,” he said.
Macalintal cited Rule 44 of the Senate, which states that all pending matters and proceedings die with the adjournment or termination of Congress. This means the incoming Senate, which convenes after June 30, cannot simply resume the impeachment trial.
And the Constitution explicitly prohibits the filing of more than one impeachment case against the same official within a one-year period.
Duterte’s camp has remained tight-lipped about its defense strategy. Sources close to Duterte said that they are banking on constitutional defenses, not just political alliances, to block the trial.
ReyFort Media 
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