Senators convened in a caucus to discuss preparations for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, which is set to begin on Monday, July 6.
Among those present were Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III, and Senators Panfilo Lacson, Risa Hontiveros, JV Ejercito, Erwin Tulfo, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda, and Robin Padilla.
Legarda and Padilla were the only members of the minority bloc who attended the meeting.
Speaking to reporters after the caucus, Tulfo said the discussion focused solely on the upcoming impeachment trial.
“We only discussed the impeachment. We were given documents to follow the sequencing. That’s it,” Tulfo said.
He also said the senators did not discuss the recently filed plunder complaint against Senator Rodante Marcoleta, emphasizing that the meeting was limited to impeachment-related matters.
Tulfo declined to confirm whether the issue of who would preside over the impeachment court was raised during the caucus.
Before the meeting, however, a senator, who requested anonymity, said some members of the minority bloc were opposed to the possibility of Escudero presiding over the trial.
The Senate recently amended its impeachment rules, allowing a senator other than the Senate president to preside over impeachment proceedings. Under the previous rules, the Senate president was required to preside over all impeachment trials except when the President of the Philippines is the respondent.
