MANILA — The House prosecution panel opposes proposals allowing senator-judges to participate and vote remotely in Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial, insisting that the gravity of the proceedings demands their physical presence inside the impeachment court.
House Committee on Justice chairperson and lead impeachment prosecutor Gerville Luistro said senator-judges must personally witness testimonies, examine evidence, and directly assess the credibility of witnesses during the trial.
“My humble submission about this issue is dapat personal na nasasaksihan ng senator-judge ang trial at dapat personal din siyang boboto dahil napakahalaga ng prosesong ito,” Luistro said in a radio interview.
The issue surfaced after Sen. Rodante Marcoleta floated the idea that fugitive Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa could participate in the impeachment proceedings and cast his vote through Zoom.
Dela Rosa, a known ally of the Vice President, briefly stayed inside the Senate after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him over alleged crimes against humanity tied to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign. He later left the Senate after joining the vote that triggered a leadership change in the chamber.
“With all due respect kay Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, we respect him and he is a former colleague in the House of Representatives. However, we need to consider the significance, the importance of this impeachment process,” Luistro said.
Luistro stressed that impeachment proceedings require senator-judges to personally observe every witness and scrutinize all documentary and video evidence presented before the court.
“Napakahalaga po na personal na nakikita ng senator-judge ang bawat testigo. Napakahalaga po na personal na nakikita ng bawat senator-judge ang bawat papel, video na inilalatag support of the Articles of Impeachment,” she said.
She added that face-to-face observation is crucial in determining whether witnesses are truthful.
“The demeanor tells you whether the witness is telling the truth or not,” Luistro said.
The lead prosecutor also warned against allowing major constitutional decisions to hinge on virtual participation and online voting.
“Mahirap itong ipaubaya na dedesisyunan based on online voting only or online participation in the session,” she said./PN
