The Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte grew highly tense on Thursday as Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson expressed sharp frustration over repetitive and off-topic arguments stalling the proceedings.
Irritated by the slow pace, Lacson took to social media to share his annoyance with the behavior of his colleagues.
“DAY 6: A fellow senator-judge has jokingly asked me if he can move for the division of the house every time he feels annoyed by manifestations obviously irrelevant to the impeachment trial,”
He expressed his support for cutting the unproductive talk short, adding:
“I told him, a motion to adjourn will elicit more applause from the equally annoyed gallery.”
The friction peaked after nearly 20 minutes of debate where several senators questioned the timing of concurrent government investigations.
Senator Robin Padilla triggered the discussion by pointing out the recent arrests of his allies, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta, which coincided with the start of the impeachment trial.
Padilla also targeted National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag for publicly announcing a new investigation into the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
“Ang nangyayari sa ating hukuman hindi ko alam kung ito ba ay eksakto lang na nangyayari o sinasadya?”
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, who chaired the organizing committee for the 2019 games, directly criticized Matibag’s public statements, arguing that the NBI’s timing compromised the credibility of the impeachment court.
“You investigate whatever you want to investigate, pero wag mo nang i-announce kasi nga naaapektuhan ‘yung integridad ng korteng ito,”
Senator Pia Cayetano agreed, suggesting that the NBI chief’s public declarations were a deliberate attempt to pressure the senator-judges.
“He is distracting us from our job. As Senator Alan said, he could do it quietly. Go ahead! Anong purpose niya? Nagyayabang siya? Is he trying to intimidate us not to ask him tough questions?”
Matibag is facing intense scrutiny as he is scheduled to testify on July 21 regarding Article IV of the impeachment complaint. This article accuses Vice President Duterte of making grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
In an attempt to get the trial back on track, Lacson proposed stricter rules to prevent further delays, including requiring all scheduled witnesses to remain at the Senate throughout the week to ensure the trial moves forward continuously.