00:17My point of inquiry, Mr. President, Mr. Presiding Officer, is this portion of your opening statement
00:23a matter of legal opinion on your part as presiding officer or does it constitute a ruling by the impeachment
00:33court?
00:56On the first issue, the Constitution provides that no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of
01:06all the members of the Senate.
01:09With 24 members of the Senate, a literal interpretation of this means that conviction requires the affirmative vote of at
01:16least 16 senator judges.
02:06If they do not attend at all and cannot vote, their vote will be equal to a acquittal.
02:13And as we said from the start, we want a fair and we want justice.
02:20We want a fair impeachment trial.
02:58I don't know how many people need to act in the Constitution.
03:02I don't know how many people need to act in the Constitution.
03:32I don't know how many people need to act in the Constitution.
03:59I don't know how many people need to act in the Constitution.
04:23I don't know how many people need to act in the Constitution.
04:27So, tinakdaba talaga ng saligang batas na imposible magawa yung ibang bagay na nagre-require ng people.
04:57Other than what the chair has stated, this court and this representation shall faithfully abide by that ruling of the
05:05Supreme Court.
05:23Isang critical issue dito is yung tinatawag natin na political question.
05:27Mayroong mga bagay sa ating sistema na bagaman binigyan natin yung Korte Suprema ng kapangyarihan na magreview ng mga pang
05:35-aabuso sa pamahalaan,
05:37ay hanggang ngayon hindi niya pinapakialaman bilang paggalang sa ibang sangay ng pamahalaan,
05:42as well as to ensure na hindi siya nahihila sa dumi ng politika.
06:06Historically, and until recently only in 2025,
06:09iniiwasan talaga ng Korte Suprema na mag-intervene sa impeachments.
06:13Kasi kinikilala na yan, hango dun sa experience ng Estados Unidos,
06:17na yung mga korte, hindi nila pinapapasukan or pinapasukan itong issue ng impeachment dahil napaka-political niya,
06:24at ito mismo ay check dun sa Korte Suprema, sila mismo kasi pwede ma-impeach.
06:29So ayaw niya pakialaman yung rules na yan.
06:32So hindi pa natin alam kung ano yung attitude na kukunin ng Korte pagdating ng kaso sa kanila.
06:54Dahil procedural ruling lang siya, pwede dun yan mag-iba, batay dun sa circumstances ng kaso.
07:00So maayos kahit papaano na sinet yan at the beginning of the 90 plus days,
07:05kasi hindi na natin yan yung pinag-aawayan ngayon, na nakafocus tayo sa ebidensya.
07:10Pero eventually, pwede nga mag-iba eh yung circumstances.
07:14May senators ba na mawawala bigla?
07:17May senators ba na hindi na makapagdadalo?
07:19So yung factors na yun, hindi naman pinabawalan yung senate natin to adjust to those new realities.
07:27Kailangan natin alalahanin na yung pag-unawa natin sa salingyong batas,
07:31nag-iiba din yan according dun sa practicalities or realities ng sitwasyon.
08:05Ideally, lahat ng senators dapat makadalo dun sa impeachment trial
08:10kasi hay constitutional function to eh.
08:13Pero kailangan din natin kilalanin na hindi naman unaccountable yung senators mismo.
08:19So kung may dahilan para mag-face sila or humarap sila ng criminal charges
08:24at may dahilan na hindi muna sila mag-participate,
08:27so para preventively suspended,
08:29kailangan natin balansihin yung tungkulin ng Senado at tungkulin ng bawat senador
08:34doon sa pananagutan naman nila sa mga batas kriminal natin.
09:04Kailangan natin alalahanin na yung Laulah
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