Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Friday rejected assertions that Malacañang orchestrated Senator Mark Villar’s shift to the Senate majority, emphasizing that political realignments do not guarantee a unified vote in the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Addressing reporters, Castro asserted that individual members of the upper chamber exercise independent judgment free from executive influence.
“Hindi ito dikta ng administrasyon. May mga sariling isipan at pagdidesisyon ang mga senador. Hindi sila maaaring diktahan,” Castro said. “Dahil kung sila ay madidiktahan at wala silang pag-iisip, hindi sila dapat na binoboto ng taong bayan.”
Castro added that floor reorganization does not translate into predictable verdicts in the impeachment court, noting that senators weigh evidence and personal convictions independently.
“Kahit marami ang sumama sa majority dito sa Senado, hindi nangangahulugan na hindi sila kakampi kay VP Sara Duterte. So, depende pa rin po iyan sa kanilang magiging desisyon,” Castro explained.
Villar formally joined the 14-member Senate majority bloc on Thursday, a move that secured his chairmanship of the Committee on Public Works.