Alan Cayetano urges senators to reject offers for vice presidency if Sara Duterte is convicted

Make this your preferred source to get more updates from this publisher on Google.

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday called on his fellow senators to declare that they will decline offers for the vice presidency should Vice President Sara Duterte get convicted in her impeachment trial.

Cayetano said this in a Facebook post in response to the statement of Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero that he will refuse the vice presidency, if Duterte gets convicted, due to conflict of interest as a senator-judge.

Escudero serves as presiding officer of the impeachment court in Duterte’s trial.

The Senate Minority Leader said that other senator-judges should make a similar commitment.

“Tama po ito! All of us senator-judges should make this declaration,” Cayetano said.

“It’s essential that in all impeachment proceedings (especially of Presidents and Vice Presidents), senator-judges are politically neutral and will have no incentive to convict except for evidence that proves the article/s of impeachment,” he added.

Uncalled for?

Senator Panfilo Lacson, however, said that Cayetano should not preempt the decision of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., should the vice president be convicted.

“Bakit niya pakikialaman ‘yung prerogative ng Pangulong pumili? Bakit niya lilimitahan? I think it’s uncalled for na pangunahan niya ‘yung Pangulo. Bahala ‘yung Pangulo pumili,” Lacson said.

(Why would he interfere with the President’s prerogative to choose? Why would he limit the President? I think it’s uncalled for for him to preempt the President. It should be up to the President to decide.)

“Paano kung, ang narinig ko medyo paborito si Senator Lito Lapid. Paano, ide-deny niya opportunity kung gusto ni Senator Lito? I don't think it’s proper,” he added.

(What if, I’ve heard that Senator Lito Lapid is a favorite? Would he deny Senator Lito the opportunity if he wants it? I don’t think that’s proper.)

Regardless, Lacson said he is not interested in the position as he intends to remain in the Senate until his term ends in 2031.

‘Too early’

Senator JV Ejercito, for his part, backed the call of Cayetano, but emphasized that it is too early to talk about the Vice President’s possible replacement as the impeachment trial is still ongoing.

“Maganda naman panawagan ni Senator Cayetano. Kaya lang, again, it's too early,” Ejercito said.

(Senator Cayetano’s call is well-intentioned. However, it’s too early to talk about that.)

“Hindi pa natin nasisigurado kung ano magiging verdict diba. Parang namang nakakasiguro na tayo. It's premature to talk about it,” he added.

(We don’t even know what the verdict will be yet, right? It’s as if we’re already certain about the outcome. It’s premature to talk about it.)

Malacañang earlier said that thoughts of a possible replacement for Duterte amid the ongoing impeachment trial is far from the President’s mind, and is not being discussed even during meetings. — RSJ, GMA News