Senator Erwin Tulfo on Saturday, July 18, voiced his aspiration for the Senate impeachment court to conclude its trial of Vice President Sara Duterte before the holiday season.
He noted that an elongated process would only prolong the distress and ambiguity confronting the Vice President and her loved ones.
Speaking on DZMM, Tulfo underscored that the tribunal must maintain an uninterrupted focus on relevant allegations to eliminate needless slowdowns.
”Kailangan po niya ng hustisya as soon as possible. Hindi po yung patagalin natin hanggang Christmas. Kung pwede nga po before Christmas para ika nga, tapos na po ito. Mahirap po kaya magpa-Pasko na ikaw ay may kaso,” Tulfo said.
The lawmaker asserted that the impeachment proceedings were specifically designed to decide if Duterte remains fit to hold the vice presidency, meaning the court should stick strictly to the complaints.
Highlighting the sluggish pace of the ongoing trial, Tulfo pointed out the psychological burden it places on Duterte’s family.
”Ang kawawa po dito, si VP Sara at ang kanyang pamilya, siyempre po, yung anxiety, di po ba. Yung ika nga pinag-uusapan. Siyempre, apektado po yung kanyang mga anak. Mahirap po yun,” he said.
“Let us not forget that this is an impeachment court. This court was established…for one thing and one thing only, for the impeachment trial of the Vice President. Forum ito ng Vice President. Oras po ito ng Vice President,” he added.
Tulfo mirrored previous concerns voiced by Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, agreeing that certain statements brought up during previous trial days drifted into matters entirely detached from the charges, eating up vital time.
”Irrelevant? Meron, marami. Medyo tumagal kaya naubos ang oras natin,” he remarked when asked about stray declarations.
According to Tulfo, the prosecution and defense panels are duty-bound to keep their arguments and documentation tightly confined within the four Articles of Impeachment.
”It is very, very unfair for the Vice President. This is her hour. This is her forum… the more na tatagal itong hearing, ‘justice delayed is justice denied,'” he stressed.
He furthermore argued that if the prosecuting team is unable to present robust proof against Duterte, there is zero reason to draw out the hearings.
”Kung wala po talagang sala, bakit pa namin patagalin? Kung wala naman talagang kongkreto o malakas na ebidensya, bakit kailangan pang patagalin pa?… Kung sa acho, pananaw ko po kung wala namang maipresinta na maayos na ebidensya eh i-dismiss,” he said.
Touching on the House panel’s move to secure a subpoena for Duterte’s financial records, Tulfo stated he will listen closely to his fellow senator-judges before making up his mind on Monday.
He reaffirmed his legal interpretation that Bureau of Internal Revenue documents cannot be unlocked without explicit clearance from either Duterte herself or President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
”Di naman po tayo dapat lumayo sa sinasabi ng batas,” Tulfo concluded.