Senator Camille Villar makes emotional appeal for courtesy for four absent senators

Senator-judge Camille Villar on Wednesday made an emotional appeal to her colleagues to refrain from attacking absent senators during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, emphasizing that their non-attendance stems from circumstances beyond their control.

Villar issued the plea on the 29th day of the trial, responding to arguments raised by Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo, who called for revisiting the 16-vote threshold required for conviction due to the prolonged absence of four members: Senators Loren Legarda, Jinggoy Estrada, Rodante Marcoleta, and Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa.

Tulfo argued that the Senate must consider these absences when determining the final baseline for a conviction vote.

“The present realities are that some of our members are beyond the coercive power or jurisdiction of the Senate—one is on medical leave abroad with no definite return date,” Tulfo said. “Another is in hiding. Two others are under the custody of the Sandiganbayan or the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. These are the factual circumstances that exist today, which were not present when we began these proceedings.”

Legarda has been on extended medical leave, while Estrada and Marcoleta are currently detained in connection with plunder charges. Dela Rosa remains at large following an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Tulfo contended that while the framers of the 1987 Constitution designed the two-thirds vote requirement as a safeguard against political abuse, they could not have anticipated a scenario where multiple senators face criminal prosecution or are otherwise physically unable to participate.

“Because it is a fraction, the mathematical baseline dynamically moves or varies depending on structural, operational, and situational factors affecting the Senate composition,” Tulfo argued. “In the past, cases against senators involved subversion or sedition—they were not facing criminal charges like plunder.”

Taking issue with how her absent colleagues were characterized, an emotional Villar interjected to defend them.

“While I respect all of my colleagues here, I think we should be reminded that all of the senators who are detained and not here right now—that is not their choice,” Villar said.

She objected to framing their absences around allegations of theft or plunder, emphasizing that no final judgments have been rendered.

“It is unfair to call them out as if their crimes are plunder and theft, because none of those senators have been convicted. There are even serious questions as to why they are not here in the first place,” she said. “As the youngest member of this august body, can we please stop these attacks on each other?”

Tulfo subsequently apologized for his phrasing, clarifying that he was referencing the charges filed against the senators rather than pronouncing them guilty.

The debate over member absences underscores a broader legal conflict within the tribunal over whether to maintain the 16-vote conviction threshold established by Presiding Officer Francis Escudero at the opening of the trial. -Paraluman News