Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano has urged his fellow senator-judges to exercise caution in asking questions during Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, warning that even well-meaning inquiries could unintentionally affect the fairness of the proceedings.
Cayetano raised the concern after the impeachment court discussed an exchange involving Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros’ question to a prosecution witness, which led private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan to deliver what some senator-judges described as a closing argument ahead of the proper stage of the trial.
Presiding Officer Francis Escudero later allowed the defense panel to respond with the same amount of time given to the prosecution.
Cayetano said he respects Escudero’s ruling but emphasized that similar situations should be avoided moving forward to ensure that neither side gains an advantage during the trial.
“Prudence dictates that we stop ourselves from asking certain questions that can prejudice the whole trial whether or not our intention is to do so,” Cayetano said.
The senator said the manner by which questions are framed may influence how the public and the parties view the proceedings, especially since senator-judges may be perceived as favoring either the prosecution or the defense.
He noted that senator-judges face the challenge of participating in discussions while maintaining their role as impartial members of the impeachment court.
Cayetano said questions should not be framed in a way that could benefit one side or undermine the position of the other party.
As an example, he said it would also be improper for a senator-judge to ask the prosecution to justify whether the impeachment complaint was merely a political vendetta or question why Congress was investigating Duterte instead of other issues such as alleged flood control anomalies.
“When we ask the questions, we will make sure it doesn’t prejudice the whole trial. Whatever we say here, there will be accusations of lawyering for the prosecution or defense, OK lang iyon,” he said.
Throughout the first week of the impeachment proceedings, Cayetano has repeatedly emphasized the importance of following Senate rules and due process to maintain the credibility of the trial.
He said both the prosecution and defense should be given enough opportunity to present their arguments, provided that the proceedings remain within the bounds of fairness.
“Let’s give each other leeway, but only to the point that the trial will not disintegrate into a political fiasco or circus,” Cayetano said.
The Senate began hearing the impeachment case against Duterte on July 6, with the Vice President facing allegations involving misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, corruption, betrayal of public trust, and alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
Photo courtesy of PH Senate
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