Senate President Win Gatchalian acknowledged on Thursday that he has not yet thoroughly reviewed the correspondence submitted by Senator Rodante Marcoleta concerning his participation in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
During an ambush interview, Gatchalian conceded that he has not gone through the communication in detail.
“To be honest about it, hindi ko pa siya masyadong nababasa,” Gatchalian stated.
He indicated that examining the contents of the correspondence would be necessary before taking further action.
“So, I have to read it first,” he noted.
The development follows an announcement made earlier in the week by Senate President Pro Tempore Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who is presiding over the impeachment court. Escudero disclosed that Marcoleta formally requested the tribunal to permit his vote to be recorded despite his current detention.
To support his appeal, the jailed lawmaker referenced a precedent from the 2001 impeachment proceedings against former President Joseph Estrada, arguing that absent members of the Senate should still be allowed to cast their votes.
As proceedings continued this week, Escudero had not confirmed the historical or legal validity of Marcoleta’s arguments.
Marcoleta is presently in custody over a nonbailable plunder charge linked to an estimated ₱75 million in undeclared 2025 midterm campaign contributions.
The presiding officer previously noted that Marcoleta’s motion would be referred to the Senate in its capacity as a legislative body.
Escudero explained that granting a detained senator voting rights would necessitate a formal revision of the existing rules governing impeachment proceedings.