Senate President Vicente Sotto III confirmed on Saturday that the chamber has not yet designated a spokesperson to represent the Senate should it formally convene as an impeachment court to try Vice President Sara Duterte.
Speaking in a radio interview, Sotto noted that while the necessity of a spokesperson was briefly touched upon during an all-member caucus on April 30, no concrete steps have been taken.
The Senate leader emphasized that any move toward organizing the court remains premature until the House of Representatives officially transmits the articles of impeachment.
“Napag-usapan lang namin na baka kakailanganin. Ganun lang. Wala pa kaming pinag-uusapan na kongkreto. Hangga’t wala kaming natatanggap (na articles of impeachment), lahat speculative,” Sotto remarked.
The Senate President maintained that he would adhere to the principle of majority rule, asserting that he “will always lead by consensus” and will only appoint a representative who carries the full support of his colleagues.
The primary function of the proposed spokesperson would be to maintain transparency and provide the public with accurate updates regarding the judicial proceedings.
Sotto further suggested that once a spokesperson is installed, the senators—acting as judges—should limit their public comments to protect the integrity of the trial.
“Kapag nagkaroon ng spokesperson, ang mga senator-judges ay hindi na dapat nagpapa-interview o nagbibigay ng kanilang kuro-kuro lalo tungkol dun sa impeachment proper,” he explained.
Regarding the scope of this media gag, Sotto added:
“Baka sakali kung tungkol sa legislation, baka pwede pa yun. Pero kung maaari, wag na lang.”
The discussion follows a precedent set during a previous, unsuccessful attempt to impeach the Vice President last year. During that period, former Senate President Chiz Escudero had appointed lawyer Reginald Tongol to serve as the official voice of the impeachment court.