73% of polled readers agree with Senate court in citing prosecutor for contempt

Vitaliano Aguirre II: contempt of court. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines—The majority of readers polled by INQUIRER.net believe that the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, was right in citing private prosecutor Vitaliano Aguirre II for contempt.

Out of the 1,836 respondents, 1,345, or 73.26 percent, agreed with the impeachment court’s ruling.

On the other hand, 491 respondents, or 26.74 percent, disagreed with the ruling.

The poll was held from February 29 to March 1.

Aguirre was cited for contempt after he covered his ears during Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s tongue-lashing against the prosecution panel in Wednesday’s trial.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said that “it’s a sign of disrespect to a member in this court and that can’t be allowed to pass and must be dealt with according to the rules.”

Senator Santiago moved to cite Aguirre in contempt after the trial was suspended for several minutes to let flaring tempers subside.

Enrile later cited Aguirre for contempt of court and said the penalty to be meted would be taken up in a caucus by the Senate impeachment court next week.