Senate succumbing to public outcry: forthwith proceed this fourth month

GOTCHA

- JARIUS BONDOC

Sara Duterte's trial is to forthwith proceed on the fourth month. Senators have run out of alibis to delay her impeachment hearings.

Moreover, the thinking class has spoken. Professors, students, professionals, lawyers, doctors, clerics and ex-generals declared their expectation. Senators must summon moral courage and sense of accountability to try Sara once and for all.

The Vice President is charged with assassination plots, P612-million misuse, bribery, P2-billion unexplained wealth, extrajudicial killings, inciting to sedition and abuse of power.

Two hundred-plus signatory congressmen will attend today's Senate reading of the Articles of Impeachment.

Raps as serious as those deserve public prosecution and defense.

Statements from dozens of civil society groups warn senators: we are watching you.

Eyes will be on three of several "Sara allies:" Chiz Escudero, Bato dela Rosa, Robin Padilla.

Escudero's days as Senate President look numbered. Suspicions abound that he's secretly pro-Sara. Snickers met his claim Monday that "I don't like Sara, neither do I hate her."

He has stalled Sara's trial since Feb. 5th. All that time, group photos circulated online of him with Sara, her father ex-president Rody Duterte and their minions.

Escudero's excuse for procrastinating was lame. He kept ranting that 240 of 306 congressmen took two months to investigate, gather evidence and transmit the case to the Senate. So why should senators hurry to tackle it?

His defiance of the constitutional provision to "forthwith proceed" with trial will go down in history. Infamous is his redefinition of the legal term "forthwith" to mean "when I want it."