On Sunday, July 5, Senator Bam Aquino revealed his plans to request the full public disclosure of all evidence submitted during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The announcement came just one day before the Senate formally convenes as an impeachment court on Monday, July 6.
“During the first week (of the impeachment trial), we will file a motion to release all presented evidence to the public,” Aquino said in a video statement.
Aquino argued that transparency is vital to keeping the Filipino people informed as the Senate evaluates the impeachment complaint, which involves accusations of graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and high crimes.
He further noted that impeachment is a strict constitutional process requiring a high threshold for conviction, specifically a two-thirds vote from the senator-judges to remove an official.
“Removing elected officials is no simple matter, because impeachment alters the will of the majority of voters,” he pointed out.
Encouraging the public to closely monitor the trial and evaluate the facts independently, Aquino warned against the dangers of misinformation.
He also pledged that his office would utilize digital platforms to stay connected with citizens throughout the proceedings.
“We will use our social media pages to gather questions and topics that are important to the public,” he also promised.
Vowing to fulfill his duties as a senator-judge with strict neutrality, Aquino emphasized that his ultimate verdict will rest purely on the facts.
“This is our promise. We will thoroughly examine the evidence. We will ensure that the trial is fair. No political colors, no friends, no enemies. We will vote based on the evidence,” he said.