Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said Thursday that senator-judges must personally attend the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to properly evaluate evidence, examine witnesses and render judgment.
Luistro’s remarks came amid a proposal by Senator Rodante Marcoleta to amend Senate impeachment rules to allow senators to participate and vote remotely under justifiable circumstances.
Although Marcoleta did not identify any beneficiary, observers noted the proposal could accommodate Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, whose whereabouts remain unknown after he left the Senate premises following the 13 May shooting incident.
“My humble submission is that a senator-judge should personally witness the trial and personally cast his vote because this process is extremely important,” Luistro said in a radio interview.
“It is difficult to leave decisions of this magnitude to online voting or online participation alone,” she added.
Luistro, lead prosecutor for the House panel in the impeachment case, said the prosecution team is finalizing documents, videos and witness testimonies for presentation before the Senate impeachment court.
The Senate formally convened as an impeachment court on 18 May and directed Duterte to answer the articles of impeachment within 10 days of receiving the summons.
“All of us are lawyers, so this process is familiar. We even joke that we feel like law students reviewing again for the Bar examinations,” she said.