MANILA (SE): “Let this be a time for our leaders to show moral courage, for our institutions to stand firm in justice, and for all citizens to demand accountability rooted in compassion and truth,” Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, president of Caritas Philippines, said in statement urging the country’s Senate to act with urgency on the impeachment case of vice president, Sara Duterte, CBCP News reported on June 8. He exhorted them to maintain “utmost integrity” and a strong commitment to the rule of law.
Bishop Bagaforo stressed that delaying the trial undermines public trust and weakens democratic institutions.
“The impeachment trial must no longer be delayed. We call on our leaders to act with the highest sense of urgency,” he said.
The bishop emphasised that the legal and political process should remain impartial and rooted in truth and due process.
“The ultimate goal must always be the welfare of the Filipino people—especially the poor, the marginalised, and those whose voices are often unheard,” he said.
The House of Representatives sent the articles of impeachment to the Senate in early February, but the upper chamber has yet to take action, CBCP News reported.
In a statement, the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission of the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines [JPIC-CMSP] condemned what they described as a “deliberate delay” in the proceedings, allegedly led by Duterte-aligned lawmakers and Senate president, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, LiCAS News reported on June 9.
“We cannot remain silent while the law is being manipulated and the truth distorted,” the JPIC-CMSP said.
“Because of his personal ambition to retain power, Escudero has allowed the Senate—once a respected institution of statesmanship and public service—to be turned into a playground for partisanship,” it was.
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Escudero, recently postponed the reading of the articles—originally set for June 2—to June 11, claiming legislative priorities ahead of the June 13 adjournment of Congress.
According to CBCP News, Catholic academic institutions Ateneo School of Government and De La Salle University have also urged the Senate to fulfill its constitutional mandate to proceed with the trial.
