Senator Erwin Tulfo said senators held an all-senators’ caucus on Friday to discuss preparations for the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday.
In a chance interview at the Senate, Tulfo said senators were given copies of the sequencing of the impeachment trial to help ensure smooth proceedings.
He said the caucus did not tackle the situation of their colleagues who are facing charges.
“Ang pinag-usapan namin is all about impeachment. Binigyan kami ng documents para to follow yung sequencing (What we talked about was about the impeachment. We were given documents for us to follow the proper sequencing),” he said.
Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the caucus was meant to prepare senators for their upcoming duties as impeachment court judges on Monday.
Aside from Tulfo and Zubiri, also in attendance were Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III, and Senators Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Loren Legarda, Robin Padilla, Francis Escudero, and Risa Hontiveros.
Meanwhile, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Alfred Corpus said security in and around the Senate is “all prepared” for the impeachment trial.
Corpus said the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms will be augmented by an ample number of police personnel to secure the Senate building and its surroundings.
“We’re all prepared to make sure that the proceedings will run smoothly,” Corpus said in a chance interview.
Corpus, citing advice from Senate Secretary Renato Bantug, said the public will be allowed to watch the impeachment trial on a first come, first served basis through registration in the Senate’s Visitors Management System.
He said the VMS link, https://vms.senate.gov.ph, will open for registration at 2 p.m. a day before the trial. Only 61 individuals will be allowed to register.
Approved registrants will be issued a QR code, which will serve as their entry pass to the Senate session hall.
For his part, Bantug said the stretch of Diokno Boulevard, covering both northbound and southbound lanes from Seaside Boulevard to Atang dela Rama Street, will be closed to regular traffic during the scheduled dates of the impeachment trial on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
The affected stretch will remain open to the general public on weekends and on weekdays when no impeachment trial is scheduled.
During the road closure, Bantug said access to the affected stretch will be limited to senators, Senate officials and employees, GSIS officials and employees, non-organic officials and personnel holding office at the Senate, persons directly involved in the impeachment proceedings, authorized government vehicles, and other persons or vehicles specifically authorized by the OSAA.
“All other vehicles shall be rerouted to Macapagal Boulevard for the duration of the road closure. The public is encouraged to plan their travel accordingly and to observe all traffic advisories and instructions issued by law enforcement and traffic management personnel deployed in the area,” Bantug said.