Senators on Sunday said they have not received information about an alleged move to unseat Vicente Sotto III as Senate President, supposedly to block the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte once the articles of impeachment are transmitted to the Senate.
In an interview on radio dzBB, Sen. Erwin Tulfo said neither he nor his brother, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, had received calls or messages seeking support for a change in Senate leadership, despite speculation spreading on social media.
“To be honest wala namang tumawag sa akin or kay Sen. Raffy usually kasi dalawa kaming tinatawagan. Pero, that very hard, at saka magiging halatang-halata sila kapag nagkaroon man or yung grupo na mag-i-initiate ng coup d etat. How will explain to the public na kaya nag coup para hindi matuloy ang impeachment because of the impeachment kailangan palitan ang leadership,” Tulfo said.
He added that a Senate coup “is not the answer” since the Senate is constitutionally mandated to proceed “forthwith” with impeachment proceedings.
“It’s not the answer. It’s a question also. Kasi magtatanong yung mga tao or yung mga ordinary citizens, bakit nag coup d’etat? So, a question cannot answer another question…I don’t know saan sila kukuha ng lakas ng loob na gawin nila yun. Siguro ang maganda, we proceed with the trial, we will go, para di ba sabing ganon, that you will have your day in court,” he said.
Tulfo also cited recent surveys showing that many Filipinos want the Vice President to undergo a trial to settle the allegations against her.
He said senators have the right to oppose the impeachment process politically, but refusing to convene the impeachment court could raise constitutional issues.
“Karapatan nila kumontra but constitutional duty naman ng Senate ang mag convene kapag inakyat sa Senate. I don’t know how they will do it kasi kung di naman kami magko-convene ay violation of the Constitution yan,” he added.
The senator likewise said lawmakers may still need to revisit impeachment rules to clarify unresolved matters, including what happens if an impeached official resigns before the trial concludes.
The remarks came after Sen. Robin Padilla said the minority bloc would oppose the impeachment trial, saying it was part of the minority’s role to challenge developments in the Senate. The statement drew criticism from observers who argued that the Senate’s constitutional obligations transcend partisan positions.
Meanwhile, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said he had also not heard of any effort to replace Sotto and maintained that the Senate president remained on “stable ground.”
“Wala naman akong narinig at wala rin akong nakakausap. Si Senate president is on stable ground. Yung kanyang mga pronouncement ay base sa batas at sa ating Saligang Batas. Ang kanyang pronouncement ay in line sa trabaho ng Senado na kung talagang madadala sa atin yung articles of impeachment, dapat mag-convene ang impeachment court,” Gatchalian said.
He stressed that convening the impeachment court “is not a matter of choice or change in leadership” but a constitutional responsibility of the Senate.
“Hindi mo pwedeng upuan yan ng matagal o hindi puwedeng hindi ipagpatuloy dahil nga nakasulat, very clear sa Constitution natin to try forthwith at saka walang ibang leeway. And this is part of the process and accountability mechanism ng Constitution,” he added.
Gatchalian, however, acknowledged that unexpected developments remain possible, citing past attempts during the 19th Congress to dismiss impeachment complaints even before the Senate had convened as an impeachment court.
“Ngayon kung ako ang tatanungin, very clear ang Constitution to try forthwith. So, ibig sabihin, ang trabaho ng Senado kapag inakyat yung articles of impeachment is to try. At doon magkakaroon ng opportunity ang defense and even prosecution na ilabas yung mga motions, nga gusto nilang gawin, but we need to try because that is very clear in our Constitution,” he said.