Senator Camille Villar on Wednesday defended her colleagues from the minority, who are either detained or in hiding, against “attacks” from fellow senators linking them to criminal wrongdoing. 

Villar took offense at Senator Erwin Tulfo’s remarks that the framers of the 1987 Constitution did not anticipate that future senator-judges may be embroiled in corruption-related cases, such as “plunder” and “theft.” 

The exchange erupted on Day 29 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial as the Senate impeachment court settled the debate over whether the contentious two-thirds threshold required to convict an impeached official should be reduced, given the absence of Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Rodante Marcoleta, Bato dela Rosa, and Loren Legarda from the trial.

Villar denounced Tulfo’s statements as “unfair,” arguing that none of their colleagues in the minority bloc have been convicted by the court and therefore should not be labeled as “plunderers” and “thieves.”

“I think we should be reminded that all of the senators [who] are detained and who are not here right now, that is not their choice…There are even a lot of questions [about] why they are not here in the first place,” Villar said with a cracking voice. “So let's not stand there and lowball like that.” 

Villar was also seen shedding a tear after her manifestation. 

Tulfo said the framers of the Constitution deliberately chose a fraction rather than an explicit number of 16 votes when setting the conviction threshold, in anticipation of unforeseen circumstances, such as when senator-judges may be unable to participate due to legal cases.

However, unlike subversion and sedition, he argued that recent developments involving senator-judges make it difficult to determine the threshold, as they face “terrible” cases linked to corruption.

Villar appealed to them to afford each other basic respect and to refrain from attacking each other despite their differing political views. 

“We can’t just say whatever we want about our colleagues, right? Let’s show a little respect. After all, none of those who aren’t here have been proven guilty. They are not plunderers; they are not thieves. Nothing of that sort has been proven against them,” she pointed out.

Senator Robin Padilla, also from the minority, maintained that their bloc is being subject to alleged political persecution, citing the looming criminal case against him. 

“It’s clear enough. This might even be my last day here… We are simply explaining that the minority is going through a difficult time and we should not be the ones to pin down our own colleagues,” he lamented. 

Senator Mark Villar also jumped on his sister’s defense, saying senator-judges should be mindful and considerate of how they characterize their colleagues who are unable to attend the trial.

"I think we have to keep in mind the effects of the words that we use in this trial...They are not guilty. And when we use these words in public, somehow there is an effect on our colleagues as well,” he stressed. 

With Senators Estrada, Marcoleta, Dela Rosa, and Legarda unable to attend the trial due to their legal battles, Tulfo previously warned that insisting on a voting base of 24 despite their absence would result in an “acquittal by default,” regardless of how the evidence is presented.

Later in the trial, Tulfo apologized for his remarks but maintained that he did not label them as convicted plunderers. 

“What I said was that they were charged with it. Further, the statements were not attacks against our fellow senators but merely confronting the present reality that some senators are physically or legally unable to participate in the impeachment trial. The issue of detained senators is so intertwined in the determination of denominator,” he argued. 

Similar to their colleagues in the minority, the Villars also face graft complaints over allegations of "grossly disadvantageous" joint venture agreements between their water utility company, PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., and 75 local water districts.

 The Ombudsman had already initiated a preliminary probe into criminal and administrative complaints against members of the prominent political clan, including their parents, who are also former senators, Manny and Cynthia Villar.