Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano Points Out Only Few Lawyers Are Left To Function in Chamber Now
ALAN PETER CAYETANO – The Senate Minority Leader cited Senator Imee Marcos as he named the senators who have experience in law despite a previous controversy.
Currently, 21 senators are left functioning in the Senate for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa remains in hiding while senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta are detained for plunder. The impeachment court is led by Sen. Chiz Escudero.
Sen. Chiz Escudero’s election as the presiding officer of the Senate impeachment court did not have the support of the minority bloc. Twelve senators from the majority bloc including Senate President Win Gatchalian backed him but all eight minority senators voted no.
The minority bloc asserts that Escudero’s election is supposedly against the Constitution. According to them, the presiding officer of the impeachment court should be the Senate president.
Here are senator-judges who voted in support and against the election of Sen. Chiz Escudero as the presiding officer:
YES
- Senate Pres. Sherwin Gatchalian
- Senate President Pro Tempore Tito Sotto
- Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri
- Sen. Panfilo Lacson
- Sen. Kiko Pangilingan
- Sen. Bam Aquino
- Sen. Risa Hontiveros
- Sen. Joel Villanueva
- Sen. Erwin Tulfo
- Sen. Raffy Tulfo
- Sen. JV Ejercito
- Sen. Lito Lapid
NO
- Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano
- Sen. Pia Cayetano
- Sen. Loren Legarda
- Sen. Bong Go
- Sen. Imee Marcos
- Sen. Mark Villar
- Sen. Camille Villar
- Sen. Robin Padilla
Recently, following the arrest of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta who is faced with plunder for supposedly not declaring the P75 million he received as campaign donation in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano stressed that there are only a few of them senator-judges who have experience in law.
Based on The Philippine Star, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano who was recently ousted from the Senate presidency prior to the start of the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte admitted that he is having a hard time as only a few of them lawyer senators are left in the chamber.
Based on the post, as he named the senators who have experiences in law, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano included in the list his fellow minority senator, presidential sister Sen. Imee Marcos. He recalled that Marcos is a graduate of law.
“I admit to you, nahihirapan po ako eh, wala si Senator Marcoleta iilan lang po kaming abogado dito – si Senator Pangilinan, Chiz. Si Imee is a law graduate, diba?” Cayetano said.
The Senate Minority Leader also included in the list his sister, Sen. Pia Cayetano, who is a lawyer and Sen. Bam Aquino who is a second year law student. He stressed that “it’s not easy” as there are only a few of them.
Based on the post, during the previous election, the educational background of Sen. Imee Marcos has become the center of controversy amid the reports that she finished as a cum laude in the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law. The university denied the said reports.
Recently, Sen. Imee Marcos was criticized after she admitted that she is laughing over the face of Senate Pres. Sherwin Gatchalian who’s seated behind Sen. Chiz Escudero during the impeachment trial.