House lead prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said there is no issue with a non-lawyer presiding over impeachment proceedings, citing acting Senate President Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian as an example amid ongoing discussions on Senate leadership in the impeachment court.
She said impeachment is not a conventional court trial and should not be viewed strictly through a legal framework, stressing that it is a unique constitutional process that also carries administrative and quasi-judicial elements.
“In all honesty, I don’t see anything wrong about having a presiding officer who is a non-lawyer, like our acting SP, Win Gatchalian,” the Batangas solon said when asked about proposals suggesting that a lawyer should preside over the impeachment court.
She added that the key responsibility of the presiding officer is to ensure that evidence is fully heard and that the proceedings are focused on establishing facts rather than being derailed by procedural technicalities.
Luistro cautioned that excessive reliance on legal objections and procedural issues could undermine the purpose of the trial, which is to assess the fitness of a public official to remain in office.
“What is important is for us to be able to ferret out the truth,” she said, noting that impeachment is not meant to determine criminal or civil liability but to evaluate continued suitability for public office.
Her remarks come as senators continue to deliberate on who should preside over the impeachment court, with some members suggesting that a lawyer may be better suited for the role.
The Senate impeachment court is set to hold its pre-trial conference on June 18, ahead of the formal trial scheduled to begin on July 6.