GOING INTO THE 23rd day of the Impeachment Court hearing, non-appearances of senator-judges Loren Legarda, Bong Go, Alan Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Robin Padilla and others during the scheduled hearings have been noted and published in major newspapers.
The Filipino people, as a matter of course, are wondering why the senator-judges have been absenting themselves during the hearings.
This is unfair, and most likely anomalous, since as senator-judges, they are expected, as a mandated sacred public duty and critical responsibility to the Filipino people to be personally present during the hearings.
They have to be personally physically present to see and observe the facial and body expressions/languages, as well as hear all the statements and questions of the prosecution and respondent lawyers, witnesses called to testify, and the senator-judges themselves.
If they are absent and unable personally to observe and listen to the proceedings, how can they make objective, impartial and fair judgments, after missing out on days when hearings were held?
As employees of the Philippine government, representing the people in the Senate, and in a real sense, answerable to the Filipino people (as eloquently expressed by the late President Noynoy Aquino, “KAYO AND BOSS KO”), the senator-judges have the obligation to do their important public duties as legislators, and as senator-judges in an impeachment court.
The person on trial is Vice President Sara Duterte, holding the second highest government position, is charged for betrayal of public trust and many other crimes against the people. And yet, this unusual special case was held unreasonably long in abeyance by the Senate as early as the first half of 2025.
It should be noted too at the time, that the people have been going to the streets, known as “Parliament of the Streets,” calling on the Senate to “Litisin na si VP Sara Duterte!”
In other words, their job as senator-judges is of paramount importance, and could not be taken for granted with their absences, given the incessant demand by the people for justice to be carried out forthwith.
Isn’t it only natural for the people to expect transparent and impartial hearings in the presence of the senator-judges?
The fact is, the people expect, as in the case of employees — laborers, farmers, fishermen, nurses, teachers, security guards, policemen, soldiers, and other professionals – to be present-on-duty during their official work days.
These regular ‘small’ employees, if absent without official leave, have to suffer loss of pay or an appropriate disciplinary action. In the case of the senator-judges, are they considered “super-special employees” of the government, such that they can just be absent as they wish?
Have they officially baptized themselves as the country’s “super-special employees,” and therefore, the people cannot complain?
In their thinking as senators, it is alright for them not to report for work, and still receive their daily salary and allowances, worth thousands of pesos?
Does this mean the Filipino people just have to accept how the senator-judges behave in an impeachment court, given that it is not the regular court of law where the judge by his/her lonesome has to be physically present on a scheduled hearing?
These senators apparently believe they can do what they want in terms of how they carry out their mandate as elected government officials.
They dare to tell the Filipino people that they know what is best in performing their daily tasks. That includes their personal preference and choice to be absent on a regular work day, even if that duty is to be a senator-judge that requires their personal presence.
Ok lang – to insult the people?