Incoming Senator Panfilo Lacson on Sunday urged senator-judges to act and speak impartially during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Senator-judges must behave and speak like judges. Judges ask clarificatory questions if the defense or prosecution does not give a clear reply. It is not the senator-judges’ job to express personal opinions on the case,” he reminded.
Lacson noted that the public will scrutinize the judges’ demeanor, reminding them to act as impartial senator-judges rather than members of the defense or prosecution teams.
The senator-elect also emphasized that the Constitution should guide the senator-judges’ behavior throughout the impeachment proceedings.
“We should have the equivalent of blinders, so we will not be distracted by comments on the issues in the trial. In the US, the jury is sequestered and has no contact with the outside world so they can focus on the evidence. That should be our attitude,” he said.
Lacson also cautioned against overinterpreting the Constitution’s wording, advocating for a straightforward approach to simply “try and decide” the case.
He warned that dismissing the impeachment case without a trial could lead to a Supreme Court challenge, as the prosecution team from the House might argue it constitutes a grave abuse of discretion.
“That would be very embarrassing,” he said.
