Political analyst Jesus Falcis has called out Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Pia Cayetano, accusing the siblings of “gaslighting” the chamber by questioning Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s appointment as presiding officer in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Speaking in a television interview on Thursday, Falcis clarified that while the 1987 Constitution requires the Chief Justice to oversee a president’s impeachment, it remains silent on who should preside over a vice presidential trial.
Consequently, he explained, the Senate retains full authority to dictate its own procedural guidelines.
“What (the Cayetano siblings) are doing is very classic Duterte, which is gaslighting,” Falcis stated.
“When the Constitution is silent, what is not prohibited is allowed. Puwedeng gawin ng Senate yan under its own rules,” he added.
Falcis also took aim at Senator Pia Cayetano’s demeanor during the sessions, labeling her interactions with fellow lawmakers as “patronizing, infantilizing and condescending.”
He argued that she has routinely overstepped by lecturing other senator-judges on how to conduct themselves.
“There is one senator who seems to be grandstanding and telling other senator-judges how to do their job,” Falcis said.
“They should know that just because they’re lawyers doesn’t mean they’re better than others,” he stressed.
Furthermore, the analyst pointed out the irony of the Cayetanos acting as a tag-team in the plenary, given their public stance on nepotism in politics.
“Silang dalawa ang nagsasabi sa atin why the anti-political dynasty bill should be passed,” Falcis remarked, noting that their synchronized maneuvering perfectly illustrates the problem with political dynasties.