Senator Erwin Tulfo urges colleagues not to air personal issues in impeachment court

Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo on Monday urged fellow senator-judges to refrain from raising personal grievances during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the proceedings should be devoted solely to the charges against the vice president.

During the resumption of the trial, Tulfo said some members of the impeachment court had been using court time to respond to accusations against themselves, instead of focusing on the impeachment case.

"These past few days... I have observed that the time of the impeachment court is being used by some of our fellow senator-judges to answer accusations. This is not the right forum and the right venue, and not the right time to explain your situation," Tulfo said in a manifestation.

He said senator-judges who wish to address allegations against them should do so outside the impeachment proceedings through press conferences or social media platforms.

"If you want to explain your sentiments, you can do that outside the time of the impeachment court. You can have press conferences... and you can also explain your side through Facebook or YouTube," he said.

Tulfo argued that spending court time on matters unrelated to the impeachment delays proceedings and is unfair to Duterte, whose case the Senate is constitutionally tasked to try.

"The time spent here should be dedicated to hearing the vice president's defense, not by defending ourselves if we are accused by agencies, if there are cases against us, or if there are investigations we are subjected to," he added.

Tulfo made the remarks after Senator-judge Robin Padilla delivered a manifestation denying claims that he ignored a summons issued by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged escape of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa from the Senate premises in May 2026.

Dela Rosa is the subject of a pending arrest order issued by the International Criminal Court, while Padilla has been accused of helping the senator leave the Senate complex.

Tulfo maintained that the impeachment court was created solely to hear the case against Duterte.

"This court was established, was created, the impeachment court, for the vice president and vice president only. This should be her time. This should be her forum, not our forum here where we will air our grievances and answer accusations," he said.

He also said concerns involving absent colleagues or other Senate matters should instead be raised during regular Senate sessions.

"This is not also the time... to find our colleagues whom we cannot see, those who are arrested. This should be done during the Senate session and not here in this court," Tulfo said, urging the impeachment court to strictly follow its rules.

Tulfo's reminder came days after the prosecution panel itself was advised by senator-judges to avoid making manifestations inside the impeachment court.

On the sixth day of the trial last week, Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano asked the prosecution panel to bring its manifestations outside the courtroom and refrain from making statements that could be construed as conclusions of fact and law.

The Cayetano siblings made the request after prosecution counsel Lorna Kapunan announced the panel's decision to withdraw the presentation of key witnesses for Article IV of the impeachment complaint, which concerns allegations of grave threats against Duterte.

-Paraluman News