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MALUGOD na tinanggap ni House Deputy Majority Leader at Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor ang posisyon ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. kaugnay ng nalalapit na pag-arangkada ng impeachment trial laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte.
Partikular na tinukoy ni Defensor ang garantiya ni Marcos na hindi manghihimasok sa demokratikong prosesong pasok sa mandato ng Kongreso.
“I’m glad to hear that the President, as the head of the Executive Department, will not interfere with the impeachment process,” wika ni Defensor na kabilang sa House prosecution team.
“As the President is the most powerful man in the country, he will exert undue influence on the Senator-Judges and we want the Senator-Judges to act independently, free from any influence from the Executive Department,” dugtong ng Iloilo solon.
Ayon kay Defensor, ang posisyon ng Punong Ehekutibo ay nagpapatibay sa constitutional principle ng “separation of powers” at magbibigay-daan para sa patas at malayang paglilitis ng Senate impeachment court sa mga akusasyon laban sa bise-presidente.
“It’s good to hear that he will not be involved so that all parties will not be judged by any undue interference from any department, considering that we have a separation of powers,” diin pa ng ranking House official.
Kumbinsido rin si Defensor na sa mga pananaw ng Pangulo. Una nang sinabi ni Marcos na hindi angkop maimpluwensyahan ang opinyon ng publiko hinggil sa magaganap na impeachment trial subalit dapat pa rin aniyang manaig ang constitutional independence ng lehislatura sa pagresolba sa usapin.
Umaasa rin si Defensor na gagampanan nang mahusay at tama ng Senado ang tungkulin pagkakaroon ng patas na pagdinig.
“But I want to see that senator-judges will act independently. And while we agree that it’s a political process and the senators have their own affiliations, we want to see a trial, an objective trial when it comes to the presentation of evidence by the prosecution as well as by the defense,” wakas ng pahayag ng mambabatas. (ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II)
