Sen. Robin Padilla Asked Prosecution in VP Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial To Refrain from Being “One-Sided”
PROSECUTION – House prosecutor and Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro stressed that those who must be neutral in the impeachment trial are the senator-judges.
The senator-judges have also stood in opposing grounds on several matters concerning the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. In fact, the proceedings started with the senator-judges not being one on the election of the presiding officer.
Sen. Chiz Escudero was elected as the presiding officer for the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte despite that the chamber’s lead is under Senate Pres. Sherwin Gatchalian. It did not sit well with the minority bloc who believes that Gatchalian should be the presiding officer of the impeachment court.
According to Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano, even if he would be offered to be the presiding officer of the impeachment court, he will refuse it as it is supposedly against the law. Gatchalian himself is one of those who backed the election of Escudero.
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
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano previously claimed that it is hard for them as only a few of them in the chamber have experiences with law. His statement came after the arrest of fellow minority Sen. Rodante Marcoleta for plunder.
Marcoleta’s arrest stemmed from the multi-million campaign donation to him which he allegedly did not declare in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth or SALN. Amid the impeachment proceedings, Sen. Robin Padilla previously admitted seeking the aid of Google in understanding the legal terms in impeachment.
“Kasi legal terms po ito. Hindi naman po ako nagtapos sa U.P. Hindi rin po ako nagtapos sa Ateneo. Nagtapos po ako ng criminology at U.P. rin — sa University of Prison,” the Senator said.
Recently, Sen. Robin Padilla draw flak after he expressed a call for the prosecution team in the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte to refrain from being “one-sided”. The Senator-judge earned countless criticisms as many people stressed that the prosecution and the defense are both bias to what they are standing for.
“In all adversarial proceedings, it is naturally anticipated na biased, biased talaga. We are biased for the prosecution and the defense is biased for the defense because that is our task,” Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro who leads the prosecution team said.
According to Luistro, it will be surprising if the prosecution team will be “neutral”. Based on the report, the lead Prosecutor in the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte further said that it will be more surprising if they will be defending the Vice President.
“Mas nakakagulat kung magiging neutral kami. At lalong mas nakakagulat if we will be defending the respondent because that will be inconsistent to our position,” she said to DZMM.
The lead of the prosecution team stressed that the ones who should be “neutral” in the impeachment proceedings are the senator-judges. Luistro expressed her hope that both the prosecution team and the defense team will be given enough time to explain their answers during the trial.
Amid the criticisms against him, Sen. Robin Padilla ranks first in the 2028 senatorial election survey.