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Senate Minority Denies Impeachment Trial Boycott Rumors, Gatchalian Says
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian has denied rumors circulating on social media that the Senate minority bloc is planning to boycott the impeachment trial of the Vice President, stating he has "heard nothing of the sort." The alleged boycott stems from the minority senators' abstention from a vote on changing the threshold for conviction, a decision that has led to petitions filed with the Supreme Court. Gatchalian, however, affirmed that the trial will proceed as scheduled unless a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) is issued by the Supreme Court.
Rumors of the Senate Minority supposedly planning to boycott the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte have been making rounds on social media. However, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Friday that "he has not heard of it." “Well, wala naman akong naririnig na ganyan,” Gatchalian said in a chance interview. “In fact, mga members of the [Senate] minority andito sa budget hearing, nasa Commission on Appointments, so wala naman ako naririnig na ganyan,” Gatchalian added. The supposed planned absence of the minority senators allegedly stems from the Senate impeachment court’s ruling on the threshold needed to convict Vice President Sara Duterte by excluding the absent Senators. There were 13 Senators who voted in favor of new threshold, while one voted no. Six others did not participate in the voting, all of whom belong to the Senate minority. At least two petitions against the new threshold have been since been filed before the Supreme Court. Gatchalian, meanwhile, assured that such petitions won't affect the scheduled impeachment trial. "Tuloy. Wala namang TRO [galing the Supreme Court] so tuloy [lang]," he added. It was Senator judge Erwin Tulfo who made the motion to change the threshold, given that four Senator judges have been absent from impeachment trial proceedings due to varying reasons. Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta are detained on plunder and other related charges due to their alleged involvement in flood control (P573 million) and undeclared campaign donations (P75 million), respectively. Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, on the other hand, is in hiding amid a standing warrant of arrest issued against him by the International Criminal Court due to his alleged involvement in the drug war deaths during the Rodrigo Duterte administration. Senator Loren Legarda, for her part, is on an extended medical leave abroad due to a lung ailment. —VAL, GMA News
Original source
GMA News Philippines