Senator Padilla raises concern over senator-judges in impeachment trial

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Robin Padilla on Wednesday, July 15, asked whether senator-judges in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial should be concerned about investigations or cases involving some of their colleagues. Padilla raised the concern in a manifestation at the opening of the sixth day of the trial. He began by saying he had skipped a planned trip to Iran to attend the impeachment proceedings. "Alam niyo po ako ay dapat pupunta ng Iran. Sapagkat, isinagawa po, ang pagbibigay pugay, sa namatay na kanilang leader, spiritual leader," Padilla said, referring to late Iranian leader Ali Khamenei. "Pero hindi po ako tumuloy, dahil may impeachment tayo." ("You know, I was supposed to go to Iran because they were paying respects to their deceased leader, spiritual leader. But I did not proceed because we have the impeachment trial.") Padilla did not connect the planned trip to the substance of Duterte's case and what was being argued before the court, particularly the grave threat accusations against her. Instead, he used the manifestation to raise what he described as a concern over developments involving some members of the impeachment court. He cited the recent detention of his allies, Sens. Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada, in plunder cases before the trial proper. Padilla also referred to a statement by National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag that the bureau was looking into the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, where Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano chaired the organizing committee. FROM THE ARCHIVES: Cayetano ready to face probe into SEA Games fiasco Matibag earlier told reporters, in remarks aired by SMNI, that investigators were examining reports that about P10 billion in public funds allocated for the project had not been properly liquidated. "Dapat po ba kaming mangamba at tayo po ay parang eksakto naman lahat ito? Di ba po tayo ay malayang korte? Tayo po ay may karapatan na binibigay ng Konstitusyon na magsagawa po ng pagdinig na ito," Padilla said. ("Should we be worried, when all of this seems to be falling exactly into place? Are we not an independent court? We have the right granted by the Constitution to conduct this hearing.") Padilla made the manifestation as the impeachment court continued proceedings on Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which involves allegations of grave threats and inciting to sedition against Duterte over her remarks in 2024.