Sara Duterte on Calls To Inhibit ‘Bias’ Senator-Judges: “Give the benefit of the doubt”

Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Speaks on Issue of Alleged Partiality among Some Senator-Judges

SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President reacted to the call to inhibit ‘bias’ senator-judges in the impeachment trial against her.

Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero has taken his oath as the presiding officer of the impeachment court in Duterte’s trial and the rest of the senators have also taken their oath as judges. However, the proceedings may be delayed following the decision of the Senate impeachment court to remand the articles of impeachment against the Vice President.

With an 18-5 voting result on the motion to remand the articles of impeachment against Duterte for clarification on constitutionality issues as well as a reconfirmation from the 20th Congress, the Senate impeachment court approved the return of Duterte’s impeachment to the lower chamber.

Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero clarified that the return of the articles of impeachment against Duterte to the House is not a dismissal of the case. Here are the senator-judges who voted in favor of it and those who opposed it with no senator-judge abstaining from the votation:

Following the motion that sent the articles of impeachment back to the House, Senators Robin Padilla and Imee Marcos flew to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. The said scene did not sit well with many people considering that they are senator judges in the impeachment trial against the Vice President.

Padilla also previously reaffirmed his commitment to the Duterte family. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian stressed that senator judges must be neutral and impartial. Undeniably, even before the recent turn of events, there were already calls for the inhibition of the ‘bias’ senator-judges in the trial.

Atty. Christian Monsod, one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution, was one of those who previously urged the senator judges who cannot show impartiality to inhibit themselves from Duterte’s impeachment trial. Amid the calls, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte recently said that senators must be given the “benefit of the doubt”.

Based on a report on PhilStar, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte stressed that if the disqualification of the partial senator-judges would be sought, there would allegedly be many senators who cannot participate in the trial. She cited senators Risa Hontiveros and Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel.

“Maybe we should give the benefit of the doubt to all the senators when it comes to their work, as faithful senator-judges, because if they would seek the disqualification, the inhibition of senators for being biased, then there would be many senators who should inhibit,” the Vice President told News5.

Vice Pres. Sara Duterte called on the people to trust the senators in making a decision as judges of the impeachment court in the trial against her. Based on the report, aside from Hontiveros and Pimentel, the Vice President also mentioned Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero who received countless criticisms over allegedly delaying the trial.

“So if we would use this as a basis, many would have to inhibit. What we should do is to trust all of them, that they will do what is true as senator-judges,” she expressed.

During the oath-taking of the senators as judges of the impeachment court, three (3) senators known as Duterte allies did not wear their impeachment robes. In Malaysia, Sen. Imee Marcos explained why she and Sen. Robin Padilla did not wear the impeachment robe.