Sen. Francis Pangilinan has emerged as one of the names being considered to preside over the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, as the Senate prepares for proceedings scheduled to resume on July 6.
Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday confirmed that discussions are ongoing on the possibility of assigning a lawyer-senator to oversee the trial, a proposal earlier raised by former Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
Asked if Pangilinan was among those being considered, Gatchalian said the suggestion was part of current internal discussions among senators.
“Tama ka, sinabi ni Sen. Sotto ‘yun. At ‘yan ang kasalukuyang pinag-uusapan, ” he said.
Gatchalian said preparations for the impeachment proceedings are moving forward, including the issuance of pretrial notices to both the prosecution and defense panels.
“Yes, I signed the notice for pretrial yesterday. So pinadala na namin ‘yan both to the defense and the prosecution team,” he said.
However, he stressed that no final decision has been made on who will preside over the impeachment court, noting that the matter remains under deliberation as the Senate prepares for the formal start of the trial next month.
Photo courtesy of Bombo Radyo Dagupan
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