CLERK OF COURT BANTUG:
(0:00:37) … Officer of the Impeachment Court and the Senate of Judges.
SENATOR-JUDGE GATCHALIAN:
(0:01:12) The Sergeant-at-Arms is directed to make the proclamation.
SERGEANT AT ARMS PARLADE:
(0:01:23) All persons are commanded to keep silent under pain of penalty while the Impeachment Court is in session for the trial of Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte.
SENATOR-JUDGE GATCHALIAN:
(0:01:38) The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte is hereby called to order. We shall be led in prayer by Senator Alan Cayetano.
SENATOR-JUDGE ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:01:50) Holy Father, we come to you today, different ages, galing po sa Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao. Iba-iba po ang paniniwala sa pulitika, sa religion, pero lahat po ay Pilipino at lahat po ay ginagalang ang pangalan mo. Sinabi niyo po sa propetang Jeremiah, sa Jeremiah 29.11, For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. You love us so much that you made us in your nature and likeness, giving us free will.
(0:02:24) Thus, to receive the fruits of your plans, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future, we must first seek your kingdom and righteousness. You call us to be faithful, Lord God, for us to be faithful, both in small things and in big things. Same with the rules, Mr. President. Help us to be faithful with the Constitution, the Senate rules, the rules of impeachment. Help us to be faithful to the rules of fairness.
(0:02:59) As the prosecution stated yesterday, to hold everyone accountable from the barangay captain to the highest official of the land. Lord God, Holy Spirit, do not allow us to obstruct justice, yet always give us the strength to obstruct injustice, regardless of the cost and the consequences. Magalit na po kung sino magagalit, gamitin niyo kami bilang instrumento ng hustisya. Lead each one of us to pursue the impeachment trial with fairness, political neutrality, and due process. To pursue the flood control scandal with the same zeal, effort, fairness, and political neutrality. To pursue corruption in all forms. Help us build a justice system that is ideal, rather than one that is weaponized and is actually an instrument of oppression and tyranny.
(0:03:52) We may disagree on many things, but let us agree in asking for your love, grace, and mercy upon the nation. We may have different visions of a prosperous Philippines, of accountability and fairness, yet we agree in the words you put in the framers of the Philippine Constitution, which is found in the preamble.
(0:04:14) We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God in order to build a just and humane society and establish a government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and to our posterity the blessings of independence and democracy. Under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution. Thank you for this privilege to serve you and our people, Lord God. We ask for all of these in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
