Photo courtesy of House of Representatives of the Philippines/Facebook.
With senators expected to convene soon as judges in the impeachment court, the Senate is awaiting to receive the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President ‘Inday’ Sara Duterte-Carpio from the House of Representatives which found probable cause in the complaint with a unanimous vote in favor of impeachment.
All the 24 members of the Senate will act as judges in the impeachment trial, sitting under oath or affirmation, while a panel of 11 members from the House is usually elected by majority vote to act as the prosecution panel.
In this case, conviction of the eldest daughter of former president Rodrigo ‘Rody’ Duterte will require the concurrence of at least two-thirds of all members of the Senate.
However, some lawmakers have abstained from voting on the impeachment of the vice president and they explained that their decision was meant to preserve the impartiality of senators who may later serve as judges in the impeachment trial.
Among them were representatives Eddie Villanueva of the Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) party-list and Audrey Kay Zubiri of the Third District of Bukidnon.
Villanueva, the father of senator Joel Villanueva, asserted that “as a father and as a public servant, (he) deem(s) it prudent to refrain from participating in the voting in order to avoid giving any side of the issue grounds to question, challenge or call for the inhibition of Senator Villanueva during the trial proceedings.”
“It is my earnest desire that Senator Villanueva, together with all members of the Senate acting as judges, be allowed to carry out their constitutional duty with full impartiality, independence and freedom from undue political pressure or perceived bias,” he added.
On the other hand, Zubiri, who is the wife of Sen. Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri, cited that she abstained from voting “to uphold the integrity and impartiality of the impeachment process.”
“I believe it is both prudent and proper to refrain from participating in the vote. I ask for the public’s understanding and respect for this decision, made in the interest of fairness, independence, and due process,” she stressed.
Villanueva and Zubiri were among the nine lawmakers who abstained from voting to impeach Duterte. The House approved the impeachment complaint with 257 votes in favor, while 25 lawmakers voted against the measure and 26 did not participate.