Cayetano says he will preside over Duterte impeachment trial

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said on Thursday that he would preside over the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte because he is still the Senate president.

His statement came a day after a leadership shake-up in the Senate, where the new majority elected Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate president pro tempore following the approval of a motion declaring all Senate leadership posts vacant.

At a press conference, Cayetano was asked whether he would allow Gatchalian to preside over the impeachment trial.

“No and no…First of all, because I am the Senate president, if you look at the Constitution, it’s the Senate president [who presides],” he said.

“Second, because they amended the rules,” Cayetano said, referring to Resolution No. 430 adopted on Wednesday, which allows a senator other than the Senate president to preside over the trial, provided he is elected by a majority of the members present.

READ: Amended rules now allow other senators to preside over impeachment trials

He also claimed that the role of presiding officer was offered to him in exchange for stepping down as Senate president.

“But I turned it down,” he said in Filipino.

However, Senator Vicente Sotto III, who was part of the Gatchalian-led bloc, told reporters on Friday that this claim was “not true,” as far as Sotto was concerned.

Asked again whether he would allow Gatchalian to preside, Cayetano replied: “We won’t allow each other. “July is still a long way off, so a lot can still happen.”

READ: Gatchalian to lead Duterte impeachment trial as acting Senate president

The Cayetano bloc maintained that the Gatchalian bloc’s takeover violated Senate rules.

The Cayetano bloc reiterated that the quorum should be based on all 24 senators, not just 22, and questioned the legality of the leadership shake-up that took place on Wednesday.

However, during a press conference early Thursday, Gatchalian said that, as acting Senate president, he would preside over Duterte’s impeachment trial.

“Well, under the rules, since the Senate president pro tempore assumes the role of acting president, we will preside over the impeachment,” he said in Filipino.

READ: LOOK: Tentative schedule for Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial

After convening as an impeachment court on May 18, the impeachment trial is expected to begin on July 6. /mcm