VICE President Sara Z. Duterte’s impeachment trial must continue even if some senator-judges boycott the proceedings, trial spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur said over the weekend, acknowledging that prosecutors are considering such a scenario as a possibility.
“Isa po ’yan sa tinitingnan natin na possibility na maaaring mangyari,” Alonto Adiong said during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City when asked about a possible boycott by minority senator-judges.
“Pero ang side po ng prosecution, tuloy-tuloy po itong proseso na ito,” he said.
Alonto Adiong said the Senate has already assumed jurisdiction over the impeachment case and must ultimately resolve the charges against Duterte.
“Kasi ang Senado po has already taken jurisdiction over the impeachment case,” Alonto Adiong said.
“So wala pong other options than to resolve this case with the Senate deciding on the Articles of Impeachment,” he added.
Alonto Adiong said he hoped minority senator-judges would continue participating in the trial despite their disagreement with the impeachment court’s decision on the voting threshold.
“Kung ako po tatanungin n’yo, sana hindi po sila mag-walkout, di ba?” he said. “Because that would only send probably a message, or a political message nila.”
Six minority senator-judges did not participate Wednesday when the impeachment court voted 13-1 to overturn its earlier fixed 16-vote threshold for convicting Duterte.
They were Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Sens. Pia Cayetano, Christopher “Bong” Go, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla and Camille Villar.
Mark Villar, also a member of the minority bloc, participated in the vote and sided with the majority.
Under the court’s new ruling, the constitutionally required two-thirds vote will be computed based on senators who are legally and factually capable of participating when judgment is rendered.
The six minority senators had earlier supported Alan Peter Cayetano’s unsuccessful move to defer resolution of the threshold question to the Supreme Court. They subsequently did not participate when the court voted on the threshold itself.
Reports of a possible minority boycott of Duterte’s impeachment trial circulated after Wednesday’s proceedings, but Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Friday he had not heard of any such plan.
Alonto Adiong said that regardless of what individual senator-judges decide to do, the prosecution’s position is that the constitutional process must move forward.
“As far as the process is concerned, [the position] of the prosecution panel, it has to proceed,” he said.
The House prosecution has consistently maintained that the impeachment court must reach a decision on the charges once the Senate has assumed jurisdiction over the case.
The prosecution is currently presenting evidence under Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which accuses Duterte of unexplained wealth and related violations
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