Senator Alan Cayetano urges senator-judges to decline VP post if VP Sara Duterte is convicted

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday called on his fellow senator-judges to publicly commit to rejecting any offer for the vice presidency should Vice President Sara Duterte be convicted and removed from office.

In a Facebook post, Cayetano backed Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s earlier declaration that he would refuse the position if offered following Duterte’s potential removal.

“Tama po ito! All of us Senator-Judges should make this declaration,” Cayetano wrote, emphasizing that senator-judges must remain impartial and free from personal interest in the trial's outcome.

“It’s essential that in all impeachment proceedings (especially of Presidents and Vice Presidents), Senator-Judges are politically neutral and will have no incentive to convict except for evidence that proves the article/s of impeachment,” he added.

Cayetano’s statement followed Escudero’s podcast interview aired Sunday, where Escudero warned that accepting the post after judging the case would pose a major conflict of interest. Escudero clarified, however, that no such offer has been made.

Under the 1987 Constitution, if a vacancy occurs in the vice presidency during a presidential term, the President nominates a candidate from either the Senate or the House of Representatives. The nominee must then be confirmed by a majority vote of both chambers, voting separately.

Cayetano ended his appeal by urging his colleagues to exercise wisdom and discernment despite differing political views. Paraluman News