Senators push back vs VP claim of budget use to influence impeachment verdict
Senators sitting as members of the impeachment court convene for Day 39 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. The court tackled administrative matters, including the handling of confidential documents in the prosecution’s formal offer of evidence. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA — Senators on Thursday pushed back against Vice President Sara Duterte’s concern that the 2027 national budget may be used to influence the senator-judges’ verdict in her impeachment trial.
“Wala namang ganun. First, kaka-transmit lang sa amin nung budget, last Monday. So, nag-umpisa pa lang eh. Pinag-aaralan yung budget,” Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said.
“Well the, the budget is open. Yung process natin open ‘yan… Walang basis yung ganung allegations,” he added.
“Masisira talaga yung impeachment court kung ganun yung magiging allegation. But ang aming direction is maging impartial and fair ang magiging judgment ng impeachment. In fact hindi in any way konektado yung budget sa magiging judgment ng impeachment. Ang direction ng impeachment is to render impartial and fair judgment,” Gatchalian also said.
Senator Erwin Tulfo also said the same thing.
“Wala naman akong alam eh. Wala namang ganun na pressure para bumoto tsaka wala pa, wala pa namang botohan. Di pa naman tapos eh ‘di ba?” Tulfo said.
Senator Panfilo Lacson called out Duterte’s statement, calling it unfair.
“A sweeping statement from no less than the country’s second-highest official is unfair to those of us who have consistently upheld the integrity of the national budget and served as its vanguards.”
“That said, in all my years as a senator, I have never succumbed to the allure of pork barrel, in whatever shape and form. On the contrary, I have consistently opposed and fought against it,” Lacson added.