‘Foolish,’ says Ping of Alan’s ‘reject VP appointment’ call

No senator can tell a colleague to reject a potential appointment from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to replace Vice President Sara Duterte if she is convicted in her impeachment trial, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said Tuesday.

Lacson called the suggestion that senator-judges declare in advance that they would decline an appointment as vice president a “foolish proposition,” arguing that lawmakers should not be told how to respond to such an offer.

“Somebody had the gall to suggest that my Senate colleagues should decline a VP appointment from PBBM if the impeachment trial ends in a conviction. While ‘no comment’ would be the most appropriate response, silence might be misconstrued as an interest in the position,” Lacson said.

To illustrate his point, Lacson floated the possibility of Marcos appointing Senator Lito Lapid, citing his public appeal and “good heart.” He questioned whether Lapid should be compelled to reject the post simply because he had served as a senator-judge in Duterte’s impeachment trial.

Lacson stressed that he was not seeking the vice presidency and remained focused on fulfilling his mandate as a senator until 2031.

The controversy began on Sunday, 25 October, when Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on his podcast that he would reject an offer to replace Duterte, citing a conflict of interest because he would help decide whether she should be convicted or acquitted.

Escudero maintained that he had yet to make a decision on the case, noting that the Senate had not heard the arguments of Duterte’s lawyers. He said he had reminded his colleagues to base their decisions on the “law and evidence” to ensure impartiality.

No presumption

A day later, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano urged all senator-judges to make the same declaration. “That’s right! All of us senator-judges should make this declaration,” Cayetano wrote in Filipino in a Facebook post.

He said senator-judges must remain politically neutral and have no incentive to convict Duterte except when the evidence supports the articles of impeachment.

In another post on Tuesday, however, Cayetano clarified that his colleagues remained free to decide for themselves, urging them to consider his concern before taking offense.

He defended Escudero’s position, saying the impeachment trial presiding officer was declaring his lack of interest in the post, not presuming that Duterte would be convicted.

Cayetano added that the President retained the constitutional authority to choose a replacement from either the Senate or the House.

“The President retains his constitutional authority to nominate a replacement from the Senate or the House if a vacancy arises. A senator remains free to decline. The President can fulfill his duty while a senator follows his conscience,” he said.

The impeachment trial is set to resume on 9 November after a break of more than three weeks to allow the Senate to deliberate on the proposed 2027 national budget.