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Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said on Friday, February 6, that the Senate is always prepared to convene as an impeachment court following the transmittal of impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte. (via Dhel Nazario | MB)

READ: https://mb.com.ph/2026/02/06/sotto-senate-always-ready-for-possible-impeachment-trial-of-vp-sara

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Transcript
00:00Sir, na-transmit na po nung office ni Secretary-General Chela Grafil po yung impeachment complaint versus BP Sara.
00:09May winaw lang po, mayroon na po bang, at this point, alam po namin medyo mahaba pa, mayroon na bang preparation na ginagawa ang Senado in case na ma-iakit po sa Senado ang impeachment versus BP Sara?
00:21The Senate is always ready kasi part of our job yan eh, kasama sa rules namin yan.
00:27Mayroon din kaming approved rules of impeachment dati, it's still there, it's standing.
00:32All we have to do is ratify it again, if ever we receive any articles of impeachment, okay?
00:38Para sa'yong concern naman, I have been, I am being briefed by some justices friends
00:45because I would want to concentrate on how to be the presiding officer of an impeachment court
00:52Pagdating sa rules of evidence at saka sa rules on criminal procedures,
01:01yun ang pinakamahalaga lang naman sa ano eh, yun ang pinakamahalaga sa impeachment eh.
01:08Kailangan maliwanag ang pananaw mo sa rules of evidence
01:12Dahil maraming magagaling na abogadong magpapasa ng kung ano-ano sa'yo at sa court.
01:20And then yung rules on criminal procedures, yun.
01:27I'm preparing for that, being the presiding officer.
01:30Now whether I'm the presiding officer or not,
01:34sapagkat pagka-presidente ang ini-impeach,
01:36yung chief justice, ang presiding officer.
01:42Still, as a member of the Senate and as a member of the impeachment court,
01:46you have to be prepared.
01:48Sapagkat hindi po ki-presiding officer,
01:52let's say yung presiding officer eh mayroong gustong isustain na objection,
01:56eh ayaw nung mga member.
01:58Ang member nang masusunod, yung court nang masusunod,
02:01hindi yung presiding officer.
02:02So kailangan, as a senator, alam mo din dapat yung mga rules.
02:07As a senator, you must be aware of whether you're a lawyer or not,
02:13you must be aware of what is acceptable in the rules of evidence.
02:19Yung mga gano'ng.
02:19Kaya kahit regular senator ka lang,
02:23you must prepare in case.
02:25In case there is an article of impeachment that reaches us.
02:28Spain, abagdik niyo po na may nagbe-brief na sa inyo ng mga justices, ano?
02:35Sino-sino po ba yan? Pwede ba natin i-reveal?
02:37And kailan pa po kayo nag-start magpa-brief?
02:40Puro taga ano? Puro taga...
02:42Well, as of now,
02:44tatlong taga...
02:46Dalawang taga...
02:48Dalawang CA.
02:50Dalawang taga CA.
02:52Saka isang tagang taga-CDA.
02:54I mean, CA Court of Appeals,
02:58yung isang taga-Court of Taxa Bills.
03:02Pagka natin makita yung mga pangalan at baka...
03:04Kailan po kayo nag-start?
03:07Pagka yan, o? Nakikisama na.
03:10Kailan po kayo nag-start, sir, noon?
03:13Siguro mga...
03:14Mga two weeks na.
03:18Two weeks na.
03:20As a fact, I had one yesterday.
03:24Hmm...
03:25Apo.
03:26SP, ano mga...
03:27Briefing na yun. Briefing.
03:29Briefing, briefing.
03:30Ako naman, siyempre, basa ng basa.
03:33Tapos, briefing.
03:34Kasi may mga bagay na hindi mo matututunan sa libro eh.
03:39Ganyan.
03:41Apo.
03:42SP, alam po namin na sobrang veterano na po kayo sa mga impeachment,
03:46proceedings, ilang impeachment na pagdaanan nyo.
03:49Pero ano po magiging kaibaan?
03:50Let's say, siyempre nga,
03:51kayo po ang magiging presiding officer this time,
03:53and non-lawyer po kayo,
03:56no, compared dun sa mga dati po nag-preside,
03:58ano po magiging kaibahan na magiging pangumuno nyo sa impeachment court?
04:03Wala naman ako nakikitang dapat maging kaibahan eh,
04:06sapagkat kahit anong si Chief Justice Pernanang...
04:10Iti ka, sino ba?
04:14Si Chief Justice Davide,
04:17presiding officer,
04:19at saka si Senator Juan Ponce Irili,
04:21presiding officer,
04:22they follow the procedures eh.
04:25Ganoon naman kailangan gawin mo,
04:26you follow the procedures.
04:27At saka kapag may controversial,
04:29you throw it to the body.
04:31So, wala ako nakikitang pagkakaiba dapat.
04:34Ganoon din yun.
04:36More or less.
04:37More or less.
04:38Sir,
04:39kung nagkahanda na po kayo yung mga other senators,
04:42at least sa majority,
04:43nagkahanda na rin po ba sila?
04:47Most probably.
04:49Most probably.
04:52I cannot answer in the affirmative mana 100%.
04:56I'm not sure.
04:58Pero maybe.
05:00Because andali naman yun.
05:01Marami silang mga abogado sa paligid nina.
05:04I'm sure they're being briefed every now and then.
05:08Kaya lang,
05:08mas importante yung pagkaya,
05:10let's say,
05:12you're either majority leader
05:13or you're the presiding officer,
05:15you must be well briefed
05:16on how to conduct
05:19the impeachment court.
05:22Conduct lang yun.
05:24Hindi ikaw ang judge.
05:26You must remember na ganoon.
05:28Ang judge yung buong impeachment court.
05:31Yes, sir.
05:32Sir, and lastly,
05:34yung PBBM,
05:36mukhang virtually,
05:37mukhang nabasura na talaga yun.
05:39Pagbubutohan na lang sa plenary.
05:41Pero itong KVP Sara,
05:43sinasabi,
05:43marami nagsasabi na
05:44baka ito yung pumanig talaga sa Senado.
05:46So kung ang matuloy lang po yung KVP Sara,
05:49wala na po yung nabanggit ko siyempre na
05:51MWF or TTHS,
05:53talagang every hapon,
05:55yun ang magiging schedule ng impeachment.
05:58O basta nagkaroon ng impeachment
06:00na kalating sa amin,
06:01ang isasuggest ko
06:03sa aming mga kasama,
06:04na I'm sure papayag naman sila,
06:06is pag umaga,
06:08Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
06:09ang Senate legislative work,
06:149 a.m. to 1 p.m.
06:16gano'n din naman yung
06:17Monday, Tuesday,
06:20when it's saying namin talaga.
06:21And then,
06:22most probably,
06:23I will suggest
06:23that we do Monday to Friday
06:25from 3 p.m. up
06:27sa impeachment court.
06:30Pwedeng patagalin yan.
06:31Kailangan yan as soon as past,
06:32ano,
06:32the fastest way possible.
06:36Unfair to,
06:37ano eh,
06:37unfair to,
06:39unfair to the public
06:40and unfair to the person
06:41being charged.
06:43Okay.
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