The chairperson of the House Committee on Justice and lead impeachment prosecutor has opposed proposals allowing senator-judges to participate or vote remotely in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the seriousness of the proceedings requires their physical presence.
Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said senator-judges must personally witness the presentation of evidence and cast their votes in person because of the constitutional importance of the trial.
“My humble submission about this issue is dapat personal na nasasaksihan ng senator-judge ang trial at dapat personal din siyang boboto dahil napakahalaga ng prosesong ito,” the lawmaker said.
Her statement came after Sen. Rodante Marcoleta raised the possibility of allowing Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to participate and vote through Zoom during the impeachment proceedings.
Dela Rosa, a known ally of Duterte, briefly stayed at the Senate last week after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him over the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign. He later left the premises after joining the vote that led to a change in Senate leadership.
“With all due respect kay Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, we respect him and he is a former colleague in the House of Representatives. However, we need to consider the significance, the importance, the paramount of this impeachment process,” she said.
She stressed that senator-judges must be physically present to personally assess the witnesses, documents, and video evidence to be presented before the impeachment court.
“Napakahalaga po na personal na nakikita ng senator-judge ang bawat testigo,” the Batangas solon noted.
“Napakahalaga po na personal na nakikita ng bawat senator-judge ang bawat papel, video na inilalatag in support of the Articles of Impeachment,” she added.
She said personally observing a witness’ demeanor is crucial in determining credibility and truthfulness during the trial.
“The demeanor tells you whether the witness is telling the truth or not,” she emphasized.
She warned that allowing senator-judges to decide through remote participation or online voting could weaken the gravity and integrity of the impeachment process.
“Mahirap itong ipaubaya na dedesisyunan based on online voting only or online participation in the session,” Luistro said.