Marcoleta: Senate court should find ways for myself, Jinggoy to participate in Sara Duterte impeach trial

Senator Rodante Marcoleta has called on the Senate impeachment court to find ways to allow him and his colleague, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, to participate in the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying such participation is their mandate as senators.

“Mayroon akong finile na manifestation sa Senado. Doon ko inihain ang katwiran na kailangan humanap ang Senado ng kaukulang pamamaraan para ako at si Senator Jinggoy ay makapag-participate sa impeachment trial [ni Vice President Sara Duterte],” Marcoleta told reporters during the sidelines of the preliminary conference on the pending P75 million plunder case and three other related cases in violation of prohibition on public officials from receiving gifts.

(I filed a manifestation before the Senate. I argued that the Senate should find ways to allow myself and Senator Estrada to participate in the impeachment trial of the Vice President.)

Marcoleta and Estrada are both currently detained at the New Quezon City Jail Dormitory in Barangay Payatas in Quezon City.

Estrada is under detention over an alleged plunder of P573 million worth of public funds and two counts of graft in connection with his supposed involvement in the flood control mess.

But Marcoleta, a lawyer, argued that being a detainee does not make them any less of a senator.

“Ang aking pagkakakulong dito ay hindi nanganguhulugan na hindi na ako senador. Ang pagkakakulong ko dito hindi nanganguhulugan na nabawasan ang number ng 24 na senador natin. Nananatili yan at kahit kailan hindi ‘yan ma-aalter,” he told reporters.

(Being detained does not cancel my status as a senator. Being detained did not reduce the number of 24 senators. My detention does not alter that number.)

“Pwede lang palitan ang 24 kapag may namatay, kapag may nag-resign o hindi niya nakayang tupdin ng kanyang tungkulin. Maliban sa tatlo na yan, wala na [ibang dahilan],” he added.

(You can only replace a member of the Senate if someone dies, resigned, or could not fulfill his duties anymore. Those are the only reasons.)

Further, Marcoleta said that his detention is tantamount to the detention of the Filipino people seeking justice.

“Nalulungkot ako sapagkat hindi lang ako ang nakakulong, ang nakakulong dito ang taumbayan, yung kanilang hinahanap na katotohanan na hanggang ngayon ay hindi naibibigay sa kanila na [hanggang] ngayon ay nakakubli ang mga taong may kagagawan nito,” he lamented. — RSJ, GMA News