Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday reminded his colleagues that the Senate impeachment court’s role is to try and decide the case against Vice President Sara Duterte, stressing that senator-judges are neither prosecutors nor defenders but impartial arbiters tasked with deciding the case based on the evidence.
“Ilang beses ko na narinig dito na it’s our job to clear or prosecute the Vice President. Hindi po, it’s our job to try and to decide. It’s the prosecution’s job to… prosecute. And it’s the defense’s job to convince na wala (nang kaso). Our job is to try and to decide. And when you decide, you acquit or you convict,” he emphasized.
“These are legal terms. Hindi pwedeng y’ung nanonood na law student ngayon, sasabihin na trabaho ng judge is to clear and prosecute,” he added.
Cayetano made the remarks during the seventh day of the Vice President’s impeachment trial on July 20, 2026, after Senator Erwin Tulfo, responding to Senator Robin Padilla’s manifestation, argued that personal statements should not be made during the impeachment trial because it is not the proper forum, venue, or time to explain individual circumstances.
He said that for senator-judges to properly fulfill their role, the integrity of both the impeachment court and its members must be protected.
“Ang legal principle natin today is simple: ang integrity ng court,” Cayetano said.
“The integrity of the court and the justices or judges is always relevant. If the Supreme Court, Comelec, Court of Appeals, or Sandiganbayan is being heard, and the judges are being threatened, you give them time. We cannot take the impeachment out of context,” he added.
Cayetano said protecting the court’s integrity is especially important amid the political controversies surrounding the impeachment proceedings.
“May nangyayaring flood control scandal, may nangyayaring gulo sa Uniteam na hindi na united ngayon. We consider Senator (Rodante) Marcoleta and Senator Jinggoy (Estrada) as political prisoners. Weaponized y’ung Blue Ribbon Committee,” he explained.
Cayetano also cited his own experience of facing investigations that he believes are intended to damage his credibility as a senator-judge.
“After we brought up the problem with the National Bureau of Investigation (Director’s schedule as witness), they doubled down at gumawa pa ng task force (for the 2019 SEA Games probe). I mentioned two colleagues sa SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth), I didn’t accuse them. Sabi ko lang, just like Vice President Sara, just because tumaas ang SALN, can we already ask for (records from) the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), for the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council) and the bank accounts?” he said.
The senator continued: “Sabi ko, iyan ang idi-discuss namin sa Monday (during the trial). (Pero) nag-react na at nag-accuse… Secretary Vince Dizon verified tatlong beses na walang ghost (projects) sa Taguig City, ngayon i-ve-verify ulit.”
He said he had not intended to raise the matter but felt compelled to do so after Padilla’s manifestation was questioned.
“But then ke-kwestyunin niyo si Senator Padilla, it was all over the news na hindi niya iniintindi or he snubbed the Ombudsman. I was going to stand up before Senator Erwin stood up just to say na may stamped mail (of his affidavit as response)… So I’m just saying, Senator Padilla just stood up to say, sumusunod siya sa batas… Importante dito y’ung integrity ng senator-judge,” he said.