Robin Padilla calls for opposition to Chiz Escudero as impeachment court presiding officer

The new Senate minority bloc should oppose the possible designation of Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero as presiding officer for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senator Robinhood Padilla said Monday.

"Kailangan naming i-oppose yun bilang kami ay minorya. Bilang kami, ay trabaho namin yun," Padilla told reporters.

(We need to oppose it because we're the minority and it is part of our mandate.)

"Hindi ibig sabihin nag-aaway kami ah. Yun po ang trabaho ng minorya. I-check namin…check and balance namin yung majority," he added.

(It doesn't mean we were trying to start arguments but it is part our job to check. We needed to act as the check-and-balance of the majority.)

Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier said that members of the new Senate majority bloc have initially agreed to elect Escudero as the presiding officer of the Senate impeachment court that will try Duterte's case.

However, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said is not yet final and is an issue that senators have yet to discuss.

"Siguro ang dapat tanungin kung papayag ba si SP Win. Kasi sa Constitution ang nakalagay dun ang dapat mag-preside eh Senate president," Padilla said.

(Maybe we need to ask SP Gatchalian first. Based on the Constitution, the senate president should preside.)

The minority bloc have likewise yet to discuss the issue, Padilla added.

"Matagal na kaming mga ilang araw na kaming hindi nakakapag-usap ng Minority magmula noong pumunta sila nung special session," said Padilla.

(We have yet to talk after they attended the special session.)

Under the rules of procedure on impeachment trials, the Senate President is mandated to preside over impeachment. However, proposed Senate Resolution No. 430 amended the rule, allowing a senator to be elected as presiding officer of the impeachment court through a majority vote of the members present.

Sara Duterte

Vice President Sara Duterte is facing impeachment trial over charges of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes. In May, she was impeached by the House of Representatives for the second time.

On May 18, the Senate convened as an impeachment court. On June 1, Duterte's camp filed their answer on the Articles of Impeachment, asking the court to junk the impeachment case against her.

The pre-trial conference for Duterte's impeachment trial formally commenced on Thursday, June 18. — RSJ, GMA News