MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson stated that the senator-judges involved in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte ought to conduct themselves and express their opinions as proper judges would.
Lacson said on Sunday the "public will observe the demeanor" of the 24 senator-judges during the trial.
He stated this implies maintaining neutrality, merely clarifying remarks made by either the defense or prosecution without voicing their own views on the matter.
The House of Representatives sent the impeachment complaint against Duterte during the 19th Congress, which concludes at noon on June 30.
Senate President Francis Escudero, who serves as the Impeachment Court presiding officer, thinks that the trial might extend into the 20th Congress, beginning on July 1.
“We should constantly remember that our role is akin to that of senators serving as judges, rather than being part of either the defense or prosecution teams,” Lacson stated in a radio interview conducted in Filipino.
He stated that the 1987 Constitution should serve as the guideline for the senator-judges during the impeachment trial.
Lacson stated that the Constitution explicitly states the impeachment trial should "proceed immediately," with the senator-judges required to "hear and rule" on the matter.
"Immediately. This is what the Constitution requires. Let’s not get muddled by varying interpretations from various groups. We ought to adhere to the fundamentals – ‘attempt and conclude,’ hence let us attempt and conclude," he stated.
"Senators acting as judges should conduct themselves and communicate like judges. If the defense or prosecution fails to provide a clear response, judges may pose clarifying questions. However, expressing personal views on the case is not their role," he stated.
Lacson stated that the senator-judges ought to concentrate on the sequence of the evidence and avoid being sidetracked by comments from different individuals.
"We ought to use something similar to horse blinders so we won’t get sidetracked by external comments about the case. In the United States, jurors are isolated from society and do not interact with anyone else to ensure their attention remains solely on the presented evidence. We should adopt this mindset," he stated.
Lacson stated that if the Senate Impeachment Court decides on the motion to dismiss and ends up dismissing the impeachment case without conducting a trial, it could potentially be reversed by the Supreme Court should the issue be taken there.
“At the very minimum, we face the possibility of being reversed by the Supreme Court. That would be quite humiliating,” he stated.