Cayetano: Senate President ang dapat mamuno sa VP impeachment trial ayon sa Konstitusyon

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July 6, 2026

4–6 minutes

Iginiit ni Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Lunes na labag sa Konstitusyon ang pagtatalaga ng ibang senador bukod kay Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian bilang presiding officer sa impeachment trial ni Vice President Sara Duterte.

Pagkatapos ng opening statement ni Gatchalian sa unang araw ng paglilitis nitong July 6, naghain si Cayetano ng point of order upang kuwestiyunin ang pagpapatibay ng Senado sa Senate Resolution No. 430 noong June 3 na nag-amyenda sa impeachment rules upang payagan ang pagpili ng ibang senador bilang presiding officer sa pamamagitan ng majority vote.

Ayon kay Cayetano, malinaw na itinatakda ng 1987 Constitution na ang Senate President ang dapat mamuno sa lahat ng impeachment trial, maliban kung ang Pangulo ng Pilipinas ang nililitis.

“It is very clear in the Constitution of the Philippines that the Presiding Officer is the Senate President. Section 3, Paragraph 6 of Article 11 of the 1987 Constitution, the Senate shall have the sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment,” wika niya.

Bilang abogado at naging bahagi na rin ng mga nakaraang impeachment proceedings, sinabi ni Cayetano na malinaw ang intensyon ng mga bumalangkas ng Konstitusyon ukol sa usaping ito.

Tinukoy niya ang mga deliberasyon ng 1986 Constitutional Commission kung saan inihain ng noo’y Commissioner Hilario Davide Jr. ang mungkahing tahasang ilagay sa Konstitusyon na ang Senate President ang mamumuno sa lahat ng impeachment trial, ngunit binawi rin ito matapos magkasundo ang mga commissioner na malinaw na itong nakasaad sa mismong Konstitusyon.

“It is but elementary, Mr. President, in statutory, especially construction of the Constitution, that the spirit as well as the letter is followed,” wIka niya.

Nagbabala si Cayetano na kung ibang senador ang mamumuno sa impeachment court, maaaring kuwestiyunin ang kredibilidad at legalidad ng buong proseso.

“We need to protect the legitimacy of these proceedings. Even if the substitute Presiding Officer acts fairly, a conviction or acquittal reached under a constitutionally defective process would invite judicial challenge and cast doubt on the validity of the entire trial,” wika niya.

Bagaman kinikilala ang kapangyarihan ng Senado na litisin ang mga impeachment case, sinabi niyang dapat itong gawin alinsunod sa Konstitusyon at sa wastong impeachment rules.

“We cannot say we’re following the Constitution, then we will not follow the Constitution. If the Constitution and its framers prescribe who shall preside, who are we to change the Constitution here today?” wika niya.

Binanggit din ni Cayetano na isa sa mga pangunahing isyung nakabinbin sa Korte Suprema sa kasong Cayetano v. Aquino, et al. ang pagpapatibay ng Senate Resolution No. 48.

Aniya, kahit isantabi ang usaping konstitusyonal, hindi pa rin nasunod ang sariling tuntunin ng Senado sa pagtatangkang amyendahan ang impeachment rules.

Binigyang diin niya ang nakasaad sa Rule LI, Section 136 ng Rules of the Senate na ang anumang panukalang pagbabago sa mga tuntunin ay dapat ihain nang hindi bababa sa isang araw bago ito pagbotohan.

Ipinaalala rin niyang pinagtibay na ng impeachment court ang sariling rules nito noong May 18 kaya anumang pagbabago ay kinakailangang dumaan muna sa impeachment court at aprubahan alinsunod sa sarili nitong mga patakaran.

“We did not debate that amendment to the rule. We cannot now just change the rules. We’re here for the trial. Are we here to change the rules?” wika niya.

Para kay Cayetano, kapwa “threshold issues” na dapat munang maresolba ang usapin kung sino ang dapat mamuno sa impeachment court at ang interpretasyon sa kinakailangang two-thirds vote bago tuluyang ituloy ang paglilitis.

“I want to avoid that this impeachment trial will be declared null and void. I want to avoid walkouts. I want to avoid any delays. The Senate President is more than capable [of presiding the trial],” wika niya.

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