Senate urged: ‘Focus on impeachment trial, not parallel probes’

Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre on Thursday urged the Senate to concentrate on its role as an impeachment court instead of reopening separate investigations that could distract from the trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.

Acidre, chair of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, said renewed Senate hearings on the flood-control controversy risk blurring issues and pulling attention away from the impeachment proceedings.

“To be honest, I would rather that the Ombudsman be allowed to continue with this investigation. The proper forum for this point, after all the investigations have been made, now belongs to the courts,” he said in a televised interview.

He noted that cases have already been filed and are now moving through the proper legal channels.

“Cases have been filed. They have started to file cases against certain individuals,” Acidre said. “So, let’s allow the Ombudsman to do his job.”

For Acidre, the priority should be allowing evidence to surface through proper processes rather than reopening political inquiries in the Senate while it prepares for its constitutional duty.

“But I would rather that we allow the process to continue on the basis of evidence. The same discipline, and the same due process that we’re also giving to the Vice President in the impeachment trial,” he said.

He warned that multiple parallel inquiries could scatter public attention and weaken focus on accountability.

“Remember, accountability cannot be done with shortcuts. Shortcuts will only serve as distractions. Shortcuts will only muddle the issue,” he said.

Acidre stressed that the Senate should instead prepare for its role as an impeachment court.

“I would rather that they focus their energies on the role as senator-judges. Because only the Senate has the power to either acquit or convict the Vice President in an impeachment trial,” he added.