MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said on Thursday that he would preside over the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, maintaining that he remains the Senate president despite a leadership reorganization in the chamber.
Cayetano made the statement a day after a Senate majority bloc elected Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate president pro tempore and acting Senate president following the approval of a motion declaring Senate leadership positions vacant.
During a press conference, Cayetano rejected the possibility of allowing Gatchalian to preside over the impeachment trial.
“No and no. First of all, because I am the Senate president. If you look at the Constitution, it’s the Senate president who presides,” Cayetano said.
He also cited Senate Resolution No. 430, adopted on Wednesday, which amended impeachment trial rules to allow a senator other than the Senate president to preside if elected by a majority of members present.
Cayetano further claimed that some senators had offered him the role of presiding officer in exchange for stepping down as Senate president, but he declined the proposal.
The Cayetano bloc continued to question the legality of Wednesday’s leadership changes, arguing that a quorum should be based on the Senate’s full membership of 24 senators rather than 22 senators, as used by the bloc that reorganized the chamber.
Earlier on Thursday, Gatchalian said he would preside over Duterte’s impeachment trial in his capacity as acting Senate president.
“Under the rules, since the Senate president pro tempore assumes the role of acting president, we will preside over the impeachment,” Gatchalian said.
The Senate convened as an impeachment court on May 18. The impeachment trial is scheduled to begin on July 6.