SPEAKER Edmund S. Villagomez in a media conference on Wednesday said the Senate can proceed with the impeachment trial of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres “without us,” referring to the House.
He was responding to a question from KSPN 2 reporter Sally Limes who asked, “If the Senate really does proceed without a House prosecutor…is that possible?”
“Yes it’s possible for them to go ahead and proceed without a team of prosecutors from the House…. There’s really nothing much we can do to prevent that,” the speaker said as he asked the other House members to “chime in and correct me if I’m wrong.”
Rep. Tina Sablan, for her part, said if the Senate “proceeds without House prosecutors, it will be a travesty of justice, and there can be no pretense anymore at that point that there will be a fair trial.”
She added, “It would be a shame, and it would be a grave injustice to the people of this Commonwealth if the Senate were to forego a trial.”
The Democratic Party’s candidate for governor, Sablan said they are “appealing to the Senate to consider coming to the table in the spirit of compromise…. The House is not asking for anything unreasonable. We’re asking for a team appointed by the speaker that has been preparing for months now, preparing for trial…. We are ready, this team is ready…. Give the House a fair chance to make its case. I don’t see how the Senate moving forward with a trial…without House prosecutors benefits anyone or any side, at all.”
Villagomez said he would inform Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider, in a letter, that the House stands ready to prosecute the governor.
The speaker said the members of the House team — Vice Speaker Blas Jonathan Attao and Reps. Celina Babauta, Donald Manglona, Leila Staffler and Corina Magofna — will serve as a “unit” to prosecute the impeachment case.
Villagomez said he is appealing to the Senate to “untie our hands” and give the House an opportunity to select its team.
The Senate president has asked Rep. Corina Magofna to file an appearance as House impeachment prosecutor.
In her response to the Senate president, Magofna said, “I am unable to accept or decline notice to file an appearance in this matter.”
But she added that a House team formed by the speaker is ready to prosecute the governor.
For his part, Anthony H. Aguon, the governor’s lawyer in the impeachment proceedings in the Senate, has filed a motion to dismiss the articles of impeachment.
Aguon said the articles of impeachment are constitutionally defective as the House of Representatives acted in excess of its constitutional mandate.
Torres was impeached by the House of Representatives on Jan. 12, 2022 by a vote of 15 to 4 with 1 abstention, on allegations of felonies of theft, corruption and neglect of duty. He has denied the charges.
At least six of the nine senators must vote to convict in order to remove the governor from office. Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios would then succeed him.
Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez presides over the House session on Tuesday.
