Senator Padilla highlights minority bloc's role in impeachment trial: 'Check and balance'

Senator Robinhood Padilla on Monday said the newly formed Senate minority bloc is expected to oppose any move to designate Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero as presiding officer of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

"Kailangan naming i-oppose yun bilang kami ay minorya. Bilang kami, ay trabaho namin yun," Padilla told reporters.

"Hindi ibig sabihin nag-aaway kami ah. Yun po ang trabaho ng minorya. I-check namin…check and balance namin yung majority," he added.

Padilla's remarks came after Senator Panfilo Lacson disclosed that members of the new Senate majority bloc had initially agreed to elect Escudero as presiding officer of the Senate impeachment court that will hear Duterte’s case.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, however, clarified that no final decision has been reached, noting that the matter still needs to be discussed among senators.

"Siguro ang dapat tanungin kung papayag ba si SP Win. Kasi sa Constitution ang nakalagay dun ang dapat mag-preside eh Senate president," Padilla said.

The senator also said the minority bloc has yet to tackle the issue internally.

"Matagal na kaming mga ilang araw na kaming hindi nakakapag-usap ng Minority magmula noong pumunta sila nung special session," said Padilla.

Under the Senate rules governing impeachment trials, the Senate President serves as presiding officer. However, proposed Senate Resolution No. 430 seeks to amend the rules by allowing senators to elect a presiding officer from among themselves through a majority vote of members present.

Vice President Sara Duterte is facing an impeachment trial over allegations that include culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes. The House of Representatives impeached her for a second time in May.

The Senate formally convened as an impeachment court on May 18. Duterte’s legal team submitted its answer to the Articles of Impeachment on June 1, urging the court to dismiss the case.

The impeachment proceedings entered the pre-trial stage on June 18 with the formal start of the pre-trial conference.