10 hours ago
1
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Jose Rodel Clapano - The Philippine Star
May 16, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The campaign manager of the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas yesterday blamed the initiators of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte for the poor showing of the alliance’s senatorial candidates in Mindanao.
Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco explained that the sense of Mindanao voters changed after Vice President Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives and the impeachment was filed in the Senate for trial.
“We know what happened in Mindanao. This all started when the impeachment was filed. Before the elections, we commissioned a survey, in November, December and we have tracked Mindanao,” Tiangco said over dzBB.
“I have seen it clearly. If in the past, our candidates were getting votes from Mindanao, now no more. In the past, they chose candidates that they liked. Now, it changed. Their choice of candidates was whoever would not vote in favor of the impeachment,” Tiangco said.
“The loss of the Alyansa senatorial candidates is self-inflicted. It should not have happened,” he said, emphasizing that the initiators of the impeachment against Duterte should blame themselves and should not use him as a scapegoat.
“Why would they blame something on me, something of their own doing? I know who are the people pinning the blame on me. They are those who persistently initiated the filing of the impeachment against the Vice President. Why did they push for the impeachment, in the first place? When they know that nothing will happen to that because the Senate will tackle it only on June 2,” Tiangco asked.
He said local officials in Mindanao, who are pro-Alyansa, cannot publicly show up because they are also avoiding to lose votes from the pro-Duterte Mindanaoans.
Tiangco noted that some of the pro-administration congressmen were also forced to sign the impeachment against Duterte for fear of not getting their budget for their congressional district.
Ferret out the truth
Malacañang called on senators to ferret out the truth when they sit as judges during the impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte, even as it maintained that President Marcos is not involved in the process.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro reiterated that the Vice President’s impeachment trial is not a priority of Marcos and that the process is now in the hands of the Senate.
Castro said Marcos won’t interfere in the trial expected to begin in July.
Senators to decide based on evidence
Senate President Francis Escudero expressed confidence that senators – both holdover and incoming – would vote based on the evidence in the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte.
“In my 15 years in the Senate, decisions are not based on mere formal, natural alliances. Even my election as Senate President crossed party lines. Same with each senator judge. They will decide individually based on their principles, beliefs, and views,” Escudero said during the Kapihan sa Senado forum yesterday.
Escudero said he would rather not predict the outcome of Duterte’s impeachment based on the holdover and new senators, although he expects an interesting trial with three fellow lawyers in the Senate – comebacking senator Kiko Pangilinan; new senator, outgoing Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, and reelected Sen. Pia Cayetano.
The Senate impeachment court will convene when session resumes in June. The full-blown trial will commence when the 20th Congress opens in late July.
Sara impeach dismissal possible
The Senate may dismiss the impeachment case against the Vice President “for lack of jurisdiction,” according to election lawyer Romulo Macalintal.
In an interview with The STAR, Macalintal said it is clear under the rules of the Senate that all pending proceedings shall be terminated.
“With the present composition of the Senate and the election of unknown Sara supporters, the Senate will just dismiss the said impeachment case because they do not have the numbers,” Macalintal said, noting that at least 16 senators are needed to convict Duterte.
“Sara only needs to get eight (votes). It’s over. The case is finished. Just like what happened during the (former United States president Bill) Clinton impeachment, they allowed it to proceed in the House of Representatives, Clinton lost but after losing in the House, when the impeachment was brought to the Senate for trial, it was dismissed by the Senate as Clinton controlled it. In the same vein, with this new composition (of the Senate), it will be dismissed,” noted Macalintal, the former election lawyer of Naga mayor-elect Leni Robredo.
Speaker Martin Romualdez has lauded the inclusion of De Lima and Diokno in the prosecution team, attesting to their “unquestioned legal expertise and deep commitment to justice.” – Alexis Romero, Bella Cariaso, Delon Porcalla, Marc Jayson Cayabyab
