Iginagalang umano ng House prosecution panel ang desisyon ni Senate President Francis Escudero na huwag aksyunan ang kanilang inihaing mosyon na pasagutin na si Vice President Sara Duterte sa inihaing Articles of Impeachment ng Kamara de Representantes, ayon kay House Minority Leader at Impeachment Prosecutor Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan.

Sinabi ni Libanan na hihintayin ng House prosecution team ang pormal na sagot ni Escudero sa kanilang inihaing mosyon para matukoy ang kanilang magiging susunod na hakbang.

“We respect the decision of the Senate President as presiding officer of a co-equal chamber. But in the interest of transparency and due process, we will await his formal written communication to the House panel so we can thoroughly study his legal reasoning and assess our next steps,” ani Libanan.

Ipinaliwanag ni Libanan na ang paghahain ng House prosecutors ng Motion for Writ of Summons ay isang kinakailangang hakbang sa proseso, hindi isang anyo ng pagsuway, kundi isang pagsisikap na maresolba ang pampulitikal at procedural na hadlang na nagpapabagal sa proseso ng impeachment.

“We filed the motion in good faith. It is grounded on the Constitution and the Senate’s own Rules of Impeachment, particularly Senate Resolution No. 39,” sabi ni Libanan. “When SP Chiz himself publicly stated that all preparatory steps could already begin, we acted on that cue. The issuance of a writ of summons is among the first preparatory steps in any impeachment trial.”

Hinimok ng mosyon si Escudero na maglabas ng writ at pormal na ipatawag si Vice President Duterte upang sagutin ang Articles of Impeachment na inihain noong Pebrero 5, 2025. Ayon kay Libanan, ang hakbang na ito ay itinatakda ng Konstitusyon, dahil sa ilalim ng Article XI, Section 3(4) ay nakasaad na ang Senado ay dapat “forthwith proceed to trial” sa sandaling matanggap ang isang verified complaint na inendorso ng hindi bababa sa isang-katlo ng mga miyembro ng Kamara.

“There is no requirement that the Senate be in legislative session before it can convene as an impeachment court. The rules are clear: senators simply need to take their oath as judges, and the process can begin,” dagdag niya.

Binigyang-diin ni Libanan na ang mosyon ay hindi lumalabag sa anumang umiiral na batas o desisyon ng Korte Suprema. “There is no temporary restraining order issued against us. There is no legal barrier preventing the Senate from issuing a summons or starting the trial. The Supreme Court has not stopped the process. We acted well within the bounds of the law,” aniya.

Dagdag pa niya, ang impeachment case at ang mga nakabinbing petisyon sa Korte Suprema, kabilang ang mga isinampa ng mga kaalyado ng Bise Presidente, ay nakabatay sa mga teknikalidad upang maantala ang proseso. “Instead of answering the serious allegations—such as the misuse of confidential funds and grave abuse of power—the Vice President is choosing to hide behind legal technicalities. This motion aims to push past that and compel accountability,” binigyang-diin ni Libanan.

Kinumpirma ni Libanan na depende sa nilalaman ng opisyal na komunikasyon mula sa Senado, tatalakayin ng House panel ang kanilang legal na opsyon, kabilang ang posibilidad ng paghahain ng motion for reconsideration o pagdadala ng usapin sa Korte Suprema para sa constitutional clarification.

“This is a historic test of our institutions and of our commitment to the rule of law. We are determined to see this through—not out of political motivation, but out of our solemn constitutional duty,” ani Libanan.

“Our constituents are demanding answers. It’s been nearly two months since the articles were filed. We cannot allow this to be buried under inaction or technical delay,” dagdag pa ng kongresista.