(Eagle News) — The House of Representatives on Wednesday impeached Commission on Elections Chair Andres Bautista, after it rejected the House justice panel resolution dismissing the complaint against him.
More than 100—137 to be exact—voted against the resolution that said the complaint filed by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio and former Rep. Jacinto Paras against Bautista was junked on the grounds it was insufficient in form.
Seventy five voted for the resolution, while two abstained.
Only at least 97 votes, or at least one third of the House, were needed for the justice panel’s decision to be overturned.
“I now order the House justice committee to prepare the articles of impeachment to be transmitted to the Senate. So ordered,” Deputy Speaker Rep. Raneo Abu announced.
Under the rules, upon transmittal, the Senate will convene as an impeachment court and hold the trial.
Impeachment trial
In a television interview, Senate President Koko Pimentel said it was “very possible” this trial would take place by the end of this year.
He said if the articles of impeachment were transmitted to the Senate while Congress was on a break, “we need to wait for the convening of the Senate as a body.”
“We have a calendar to follow. Ganun lang po yun,” he said.
Asked what the effect of Bautista’s announcement he would resign by the end of the year was on the impeachment process, Pimentel said that the “purpose of impeachment was to separate from government service a high-ranking government official.”
“If that official is already separate (from government), there is no more point in proceeding with impeachment. But as of the moment, if the respondent in the impeachment case is still connected with government, may katuturan pa ang impeachment,” he added.