(Eagle News) – The Senate is eyeing the last week of November as the start of the impeachment trial of Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chair Andres Bautista.
Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said that they would still have to prepare a lot of things for the impeachment trial such as drafting the rules, hiring additional staff members, and getting a trial practitioner as consultant for the senators.
He said they would also have to preparing the schedule of the hearings, and decide on the material and design of the robes that the senators will wear during the impeachment hearings.
Pimentel said they are expecting to get the articles of impeachment from Congress on Bautista’s case soon.
“Pag natapos na ang articles of impeachment, mag-ko-caucus kami. (Once the articles of impeachment are finished, we will hold a caucus.) Hopefully I can present to them the draft rules para ready na, design ng robe namin, the schedule, (hiring of) additional staff,” Pimentel explained to reporters.
“Kailangan kumuha ng consultant na trial practitioner ang mga senador para ma-guide kami. (We need to get a consultant who is a trial practitioner to guide us),” he added.
The Senate President admits there is much work in the Senate to be affected by the impeachment trial of COMELEC chair Bautista, but that they would have to work on all of these.
He said this is why the senators would still continue committee hearings even after the senate adjourned its sessions.
(Meanne Corvera, Eagle News Service)