IGINIIT ni Senate Minority Leader at Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano na ang tungkulin ng Senate impeachment court ay litisin at pagdesisyunan ang kaso laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte batay sa ebidensiya.

Binigyang-diin din niya ang kahalagahan ng pagpapanatili ng integridad ng impeachment court at ng bawat senator-judge sa gitna ng mga isyung nakapalibot sa paglilitis.

“Ilang beses ko na narinig dito na it’s our job to clear or prosecute the Vice President. Hindi po, it’s our job to try and to decide. It’s the prosecution’s job to… prosecute. And it’s the defense’s job to convince na wala (nang kaso). Our job is to try and to decide. And when you decide, you acquit or you convict,” wika niya.

“These are legal terms. Hindi pwedeng yung nanonood na law student ngayon, sasabihin na trabaho ng judge is to clear and prosecute,” dagdag niya.

Sinabi ito ni Cayetano sa ikapitong araw ng impeachment trial ng bise presidente nitong July 20, 2026, matapos mangatwiran si Senador Erwin Tulfo – bilang tugon sa manifestation ni Senador Robin Padilla – na hindi dapat maglabas ng mga personal na pahayag sa impeachment trial dahil hindi ito ang angkop na lugar o pagkakataon upang magpaliwanag ng mga personal na kalagayan.

Giit ni Cayetano, kailangang pangalagaan ang integridad ng impeachment court at bawat miyembro nito upang maayos na magampanan ng mga senator-judges ang kanilang tungkulin.

“Ang legal principle natin today is simple: ang integrity ng court,” wika niya.

“The integrity of the court and the justices or judges is always relevant. If the Supreme Court, Comelec, Court of Appeals, or Sandiganbayan is being heard, and the judges are being threatened, you give them time. We cannot take the impeachment out of context,” sabi pa niya.

Ayon kay Cayetano, mahalagang protektahan ang integridad ng korte sa gitna ng mga kontrobersiyang nakapalibot sa impeachment proceedings.

“May nangyayaring flood control scandal, may nangyayaring gulo sa Uniteam na hindi na united ngayon. We consider Senator (Rodante) Marcoleta and Senator Jinggoy (Estrada) as political prisoners. Weaponized yung Blue Ribbon Committee,” paliwanag ng senador.

Binanggit din ni Cayetano ang mga sarili niyang karanasan sa pagharap sa kabi-kabilang imbestigasyon na pinaniniwalaan niyang ang layunin ay sirain ang kredibilidad niya bilang isang senator-judge.

“After we brought up the problem with the National Bureau of Investigation (Director’s schedule as witness), they doubled down at gumawa pa ng task force (for the 2019 SEA Games probe). I mentioned two colleagues sa SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth), I didn’t accuse them. Sabi ko lang, just like Vice President Sara, just because tumaas ang SALN, can we already ask for (records from) the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), for the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council) and the bank accounts?” aniya.

Sabi pa ng senador: “Sabi ko, iyan ang idi-discuss namin sa Monday (during the trial). (Pero) nag-react na at nag-accuse… Secretary Vince Dizon verified tatlong beses na walang ghost (projects) sa Taguig City, ngayon i-ve-verify ulit.”

Wala sanang balak na ungkatin ni Cayetano ang usaping ito ngunit napilitan siyang magsalita matapos kwestyunin ang naging pahayag ni Padilla.

“But then ke-kwestyunin niyo si Senator Padilla, it was all over the news na hindi niya iniintindi or he snubbed the Ombudsman. I was going to stand up before Senator Erwin stood up just to say na may stamped mail (of his affidavit as response)… So I’m just saying, Senator Padilla just stood up to say, sumusunod siya sa batas… Importante dito y’ung integrity ng senator-judge,” aniya.