00:00There is no need for a regular session to hear the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
00:06This is the reaction of the House Prosecution Panel to the statement of Senate President Cheese Escudero
00:12that they can only issue a writ of summons when the Senate convenes as an impeachment court.
00:19Earl Tobias of IBC with the national news.
00:24The Office of the Vice President has officially accepted the copy of the motion filed by the House Impeachment Prosecutors
00:32where it was presented to Senate President Cheese Escudero
00:36that the writ of summons was issued by Vice President Sara Duterte
00:40and also issued a visa of 10 non-extendable days in accordance with the impeachment rules
00:46to formally respond to the articles of impeachment she is facing.
00:50Next, House Impeachment Prosecutor Gervin Luistro hopes that it will be approved
00:56and the Senate will not wait until June before convening as an impeachment court.
01:02While they maintain the position that a session is needed for them to be able to convene,
01:10we maintain otherwise.
01:12Because our position is that we don't need a session to be able to convene an impeachment court
01:21because impeachment is entirely different from legislative function.
01:26Luistro said that the preparation of the House Prosecution Team is going well
01:31and they are also including some private prosecutors who will voluntarily help in the litigation.
01:37Article 2 of the House Impeachment Case is filed by Luistro
01:41where the corruption of the vice president, OVP, and DepEd Confidential Funds will be discussed.
01:48There are a few who are already helping
01:51but we have not finalized yet the number and the names of the private prosecutors
01:57who will really be joining the prosecution team.
02:00So the preparation includes those in Article 1,
02:06one group in Article 2,
02:10another group in Article 3, and so on and so forth.
02:14Luistro added that he hopes that the vice president will take advantage of the due process
02:19given to him by the House Impeachment Trial.
02:22Unlike what he did in Liban,
02:25when the OVP and DepEd Confidential Funds were being investigated by the camera.
02:30From IBC 13, I'm Earl Tobias for Balitang Pambansa.
