Senate minority airs views on possible Sara Duterte impeachment trial

MANILA, Philippines – With Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case nearing a vote in the House of Representatives, some minority Senators on Monday gave mixed responses to its preparations.

In separate interviews, some minority senators told the media of their expectations or efforts for a possible impeachment trial.

Sen. Robinhood Padilla, who has long expressed opposition to the vice president’s impeachment, asserted that the role of the minority is to oppose.

When asked whether the minority as a whole would oppose the convening of an impeachment court, Padilla told the media: “Natural lang ‘yon.”

(It’s only natural.)

“Di ba ang papel naman ng minority to oppose? Hindi lang impeachment, lahat ng bagay rito, trabaho namin —ay mag-oppose,” he said.

(“Isn’t the role of the minority to oppose? Not just impeachment, everything here, our job is to oppose.”)

READ: House justice panel OKs articles of impeachment vs Sara Duterte

Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano, who came from a caucus with his colleagues in the minority, said the bloc has yet to discuss the impeachment issue because they were incomplete during the meeting.

“Hindi kami nakapagusap,” he said.

(We didn’t talk [about the impeachment].)

Should the impeachment case reach the Senate, however, Cayetano vowed: “We’ll follow all the rules and procedures.”

“Guided naman kami lahat dahil marami namang abogado sa minority so kung ano na yung tama, ano yung Constitution ano yung batas, yun yung susundin namin,” he added.

(We are all guided because there are many lawyers in the minority, so whatever is right, whatever the Constitution, whatever the law, that’s what we will follow.)

The same sentiments were echoed by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

“We have to follow the Constitution, we have to follow the law.”

Estrada also affirmed that there have been no conversations about impeaching the vice president, but, personally, he would prefer there be no impeachment at all.

“Ako ayoko na sana, magulo na ang bansa natin… Kung ako, I’ve said it time and again, ayoko ng impeachment eh kung aakyat siya, wala na tayong magagawa,” he expressed.

(I don’t want it, our country is already in chaos… For me, I’ve said it time and again, I don’t want impeachment, but if it progresses, there’s nothing we can do.)

Sen. Imee Marcos, likewise, said the minority bloc is already anticipating the transmission of the articles of impeachment.

“Palagay ko hundred and six votes madaling madaling makuha. So ini-expect na namin, pinagpaplanuhan, yun na nga ang mini-meeting, kaya lang hindi nakahabol yung iba kung anong strategy, anong gagawin,” she said.

(I think 106 votes is easy to get. So we were expecting it, we were planning it, that’s what the mini-meeting was, but the others didn’t catch up with what strategy, what to do.)

She also added that there have been no conversations on opposing the impeachment trial as a bloc, unlike what Padilla said.

“Wala pa kaming napapagusapan na ganon, but Robin’s been very vocal about that effort,” Sen. Marcos clarified.

(We haven’t talked about anything like that yet, but Robin’s been very vocal about that effort.)

READ: Tito Sotto warns vs delays in impeachment trial

Earlier on Monday, the House committee on justice approved its report recommending the removal of Duterte from office after determining that there is probable cause on the two impeachment complaints against her.

The report will be taken to the House plenary, where it should be voted on by at least one-third of the House members before being transmitted to the Senate. /gsg