Attacked credibility? Senate impeachment court responds to Padilla's questioning on Lotoc — GMA News

[0:00] Chell Jokno, who argued that no law can limit the constitutional power of the impeachment court [0:05] as it is supreme in trying impeachable officers. [0:09] The respondent, however, manifested that the oral arguments will be done by Attorney Michael Powa, [0:15] who argued that the power of the court cannot be exercised by disregarding due process [0:19] and cannot be used for fishing expedition. [0:23] Rebuttals were done by the same councils. [0:25] Afterwards, the senator judges went to a caucus which lasted for one and a half hours. [0:30] As to manifestations and motions, after the caucus, the presiding officer stated that the senator judges wanted more time [0:39] to study the motions and confirm the agreement of the senator judges to resolve the request for issuance of subpena on Monday, July 20, 2026. [0:50] He further confirmed that the senator judges are going to ask the parties about their positions for 10 minutes per senator [0:58] and not more than one hour per side. [1:00] House Prosecution Panel Lead, Jureville Luistro, manifested that they will not anymore present and formally withdraw [1:10] the following names of the witnesses for Article 4. [1:14] Number 1, PNP Firearms and Explosive Office Representative, [1:20] Mikael Flores, Bons Magsambol, Sheriff Abe Andes, [1:26] a family member of a victim of threats and an unnamed psychiatrist. [1:32] She further manifested that Attorney Matibag will be presented on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 [1:40] and requested for the issuance of subpena at testificandum and the sustecum for the following witnesses [1:46] for Article 1 based on their submitted request for subpena. [1:50] Number 1, Marivic Pareja, for July 21 and 22, 2026. [1:59] Two land-back employees including Violeta Constantino, branch manager of Shaw Boulevard Branch, [2:05] Nita Camposano, branch manager of DepEd Branch, for July 21 and 2022 as well. [2:15] A subpena should also be issued based on their request to Lynette Ortiz, President and CEO, [2:21] but for subpena to testificandum only. [2:25] Upon clarification of Senator Judge Bam Aquino, [2:28] the presiding officer confirmed that the defense will present its evidence [2:31] after the House panel of prosecutors have finished the presentation of evidence-in-chief [2:37] of all the articles of impeachment. [2:41] The lead defense counsel attorney, Sison, manifested that the counsel for prosecutors [2:45] made lengthy and unnecessary statements during yesterday's hearing [2:50] and asked the court to remind the parties to refrain from doing so. [2:54] The presiding officer granted the same and reminded the parties to refrain [2:58] from making unnecessary statements in their manifestations. [3:03] Senator Judge Kiko Pangilinan manifested that the proposal of the presiding officer [3:09] to allow unnecessary statements to both parties would have been the better ruling [3:15] since the impeachment court is a political proceeding as well [3:18] and shouldn't be bound by very technical rules. [3:21] Following rulings by the presiding officer on various evidentiary motions and objections [3:25] by both parties, the trial was adjourned. [3:28] And pursuant to the rules of procedure on impeachment trials, [3:31] the impeachment court will resume session on Monday, July 20, 2026 at 2 p.m. [3:36] The agenda is the arguments of and clarificatory questioning by the senator judges [3:41] to the parties relative to the issuance of subpena to Sestekum, to the BIR, AMLC, and banks. [3:49] Questions? [3:51] The senator judges are already in possession of several information aside from the fact [4:45] that they are also hearing and reading the cases and the evidence being presented. [4:52] So yung mga senator judges po natin, because they have certain information, [4:57] are free to ask questions to the witnesses to establish whether they have to believe [5:05] or not to believe the one, the testimony, or the credibility of the witness. [5:12] So it is within their prerogative to ask matters that might have come to their possession [5:19] in mga information na yon para i-clarify kung ano po yung katotohanan doon sa information na yon. [5:26] So I think that is what Senator Judge Robin Padilla did yesterday [5:31] when he asked Attorney Lotto about yung karyer niya. [5:36] Terrify no na the prosecution will present first on all articles before yung defense. [5:47] Posible pa ba itong mabago? [5:50] And meron bang effect kung mababago siya or mariretain na ganoon yung flow ng presentation nila? [5:57] Hindi na po yan posibleng mabago kasi yun yung nakalagay sa Senate impeachment rules [6:02] na bago yung isang panig magpresenta ng kanilang evidence-in-chief, [6:08] kailangan tapusin muna lahat ng mga artikulo doon sa pagpapresenta ng House Prosecution Panel [6:15] of their evidence-in-chief. [6:18] Ganon din yung mangyayari doon sa pagbubotohan on the ultimate question, [6:23] kailangan nilang pagbubotohan din yun pagkatapos ng lahat ng pagpapresenta ng mga ebidensya, [6:28] hindi per artikulo, hindi pagkatapos ng bawat evidence-in-chief nung magkapilang panig. [6:35] Attorney, doon po sa malamang nabutohan doon sa pagpapasagpinas, [6:41] sa bank and tax records, ano po ang magiging batayan dito? [6:46] Simple majority po ba ng 24 Senators or nag-present sa sa trial? [6:52] Tama ka dyan, Nympha, pag mga ganyang mga ordinary mga botohan lamang, [6:57] simple majority lamang ng quorum. [7:00] So only those Senators or judges present will be able to vote. [7:05] And yung mananalang boto doon is 50% plus 1. [7:12] 21 po on Monday, 11 votes na kailangan. [7:15] Tama po. [7:16] And in-expect na po kaya yan sa Monday? [7:18] Yes. Again, iba yung expectation sa realidad. [7:22] Kanina natanong din ako, no, kung may expect ba mag-i-issue na tayo ng resolution on the issuance of subpina. [7:29] Sabi ko, yan ang expectation at pinaghandaan na rin ang presiding officer na magkaroon ng resolution today. [7:35] Pero because of the agreement between the Senators or judges to have more time, [7:40] and since this subpina do sestekum naman for the AMLC, the banks, and the BIR is relative to the, ano naman eh, [7:51] sa Article 2 pa, which is the last article to be discussed by the prosecution or to be presented by the prosecution, [7:59] kaya siguro yung mga Senators and Judges opted for more time. [8:03] And also, dahil nabawasan din yung mga witnesses sa Article 4, [8:08] so technically, we are expecting na baka before July ends, matapos na natin yung Article 4 [8:16] at mag-umpisa na rin yung susunod na artikul, which is Article 1, [8:21] sa pagpapresenta ng evidensya ng prosecution. [8:24] Sir, yung majority, sir, dun dapat yung present sa floor. [8:33] Hindi po yung nagpa-attendance. [8:36] Kasi baka nagpa-attendance 21, pero pagbutuhan po, 15 na lang. [8:41] So, paano po? [8:42] Ang binibilang po yung present na nagpa-attendance. [8:46] So, ibig sabihin po noon, kasi po lahat sila marked as present noong time na yun, [8:51] then pag nagbutuhan po, dapat kasama rin sila sa numero. [8:56] Kasi yun po yung nagko-constitute ng quorum, yung mga nagpa-mark na present po. [9:03] Dun po ang bilangan. [9:04] Siyempre, ang hugot doon ni Manong Jan, attorney, ay, meron niyan kasi. [9:09] Pagbigilang nagpa-present, pagkatapos umalis, di na bumalik, di na makaboto. [9:15] Siyempre, tatawagin ulit, magro-roll call ulit yan. [9:18] Pwede namang magkaroon ng ganun. [9:20] Saksiyahan na natin yan sa mga proseso naman na Senado sa legislative body. [9:25] Pero kung wala pong magka-question noon ng quorum at that time, [9:30] then the quorum that was established at the start of the roll call, [9:35] nung umpisa ng proceedings, yun yung mananayin. [9:37] Pero kung may mag-question po, then magka-roll call ulit para matingnan kung ano na yung bagong number for quorum. [9:44] Sir, mababago din yun. Halimbawa, may humabol na senator, judge, before the vote. [9:50] Tama. [9:51] 19 yung una, then naging nagdaga ng dalawa, 821. [9:55] Tama po. [9:58] Sir, kanina, bukod sa articles of impeachment itself, may ilan pong mga natapil na isyas, [10:03] no, like yung si James Probe nga ng NBI. [10:05] Do we have a rule po that prohibits senator judges from making manifestations that may be unrelated to the proceedings? [10:11] Wala po ako nakikita sa Senate rules yung impeachment about that matter. [10:17] Kung kailangan nyo rin po sana maintindihan yung ating mga senator judges, [10:22] this is the only plenary session na nangyayari, no, yung sa impeachment court. [10:27] Dito lang sila nabubuo ulit ng isang buo bago mag-sona kasi ngayon naka-reses pa ang Senado. [10:33] So kung meron silang babanggitin about certain supervening event na nangyayari, [10:41] then wala silang ibang chance na banggitin yun kundi dito sa plenary ng impeachment court. [10:47] So kaya ganun din ang paraan ng pagtayo ni Sen. Judge Robin Padilla [10:54] and Sen. Judge Alan Peter Cayetano at saka nila Sen. Judge Pia Cayetano. [11:00] Kaya kanina nasaksihan natin na wala silang ibang recourse but to raise the issue during the proceedings of the impeachment. [11:11] Sir, ask ko lang. Yung pagbawas ng mga witnesses ng prosecution, with that, how do we see yung pacing ng trial? [11:23] Kaya mapapabilis na ba? Or ano mo bang ano? Tingin nyo? [11:28] Katulad ng sinabi ko, hindi na natin kailangan gugulin yung 11 days para sa Article 4. [11:35] Now yung 11 days na yun, nakatakda yun dahil sa 10 testigo nila na nakaplanong ipresenta. [11:41] So dahil nung makikita ninyo, bawat testigo halos 2 days, di ba? [11:45] So kung ganun yung takbo ng mga dalawang testigo, lahat ng mga testigo na ipresenta nila, [11:54] then kukulangin talaga yung 11 days, baka magmaba ng 20 days yung pagtalakay lamang sa Article 4. [12:01] So by reducing the number of witnesses, nakabawas din yun dahil hindi na natin in-expect na kailangan pa natin takusin yung 11 days na yun. [12:14] So kaya sinasabi ko kanina, baka before the end of July, tinatalakay na natin yung Article 1. [12:22] Thank you. Thank you po. [12:31] Happy weekend. [12:34] Meron may patient coming late on Friday. [12:37] Yeah, Friday. Oh yes. [12:38] Thank you. [12:42] Oh, that was hungry. [12:44] Thank you for a long time. [13:04] Thank you. [13:05] Oh, I know that.