Senator-Judges may attend VP Sara Duterte trial outside session hall

Senator-judges participating in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte are permitted to monitor proceedings outside the plenary hall, provided they remain within the Senate premises, court spokesperson Atty. Reginald Tongol clarified Wednesday.

The statement follows public backlash over a photo shared by Senator-judge Robin Padilla, which showed him alongside fellow senator-judges Mark Villar and Christopher "Bong" Go watching the ongoing trial from the Senate lounge instead of their designated seats in the chamber.

Tongol explained that the arrangement falls under the principle of continuing quorum. Under legislative rules, once a lawmaker establishes their presence in the plenary, they remain officially recorded as present—even if they step out—so long as they stay within the building and under the authority of the Senate President.

"Nag-aapply diyan ang continuing quorum," Tongol said during a press briefing. "Kapag ang isang legislative person, senator or congressman, ay nakapag-enter na ng kanyang presence sa plenary, kahit lumabas siya diyan, continuing pa rin yung quorum… basta nandoon sila within the control of the Senate President."

He added that legislative practice explicitly recognizes the Senate President's jurisdiction over the building's antechambers and adjacent rooms, including the senators' lounge directly next to the main hall.

"In legislative practice, that is considered legal because the Senate President has control over the antechambers and all the rooms in the Senate, at yung senators' lounge, yun naman ay nakatabi lamang sa plenary," Tongol noted.

The public criticism stemmed from concerns over whether the lawmakers were fully engaged in the high-profile proceedings. Weighing in on the controversy, House prosecution spokesperson Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong emphasized that senator-judges ought to physically observe the trial to gain first-hand impression of witness testimonies.

Adiong pointed out that a witness's demeanor and mannerisms "play a significant part in the determination of either guilt or acquittal" during an impeachment trial.

Nevertheless, Tongol maintained that the attendance rules for impeachment trials align with standard congressional procedures, noting that lawmakers routinely step into adjacent lounges for brief breaks during regular plenary sessions.

-Paraluman News