Presidential Communications Office Usec. Claire Castro during a press briefing in Malacañang Palace in Manila on July 18, 2025. Revoli Cortez, PPA pool/File
MANILA — Palace on Thursday called out some senator-judges for seemingly debating with witnesses in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying they are supposed to only ask clarificatory questions.
"Hindi po sila dapat nakikipag-debate ng witness. Ang mandato nila ay kunin ang katotohanan para sa taumbayan. Hindi walisin," Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told reporters.
(They are not supposed to debate with witnesses. Their mandate is to find the truth on behalf of our people. Not sweep it aside.)
"Ang judge ay nagtatanong for clarification… hindi po sila para mag-cross examine ng witness," Castro, a lawyer, said.
(A judge asks to get clarification... it is not for them to cross-examine the witness.)
WRAP: Tense exchanges as state auditor Wamil wraps up testimony
Castro did not mention names, but said a member of the Senate impeachment court insisting that only the special disbursing officer (SDO) should be held accountable for any possible misuse of Office of the Vice President's confidential funds shows bias.
That lawmaker, she added, apparently ignored how, under the law, the head of any agency is responsible for the expenditures of their office.
"Makikita natin sa hearing na mayroon nang sariling batas o proseso… Ang proseso ay nililihis, iniiba ang interpretasyon," she said.
(We can see in the hearing that some have their own laws or processes. They are diverting the process, they are changing the interpretations of the law.)
Padilla tests auditor on knowledge of terrorism, security threats
Sen. Imee Marcos made headlines on Wednesday over exchanges with state auditor Roderick Wamil that only Duterte's SDOs are accountable for the confidential funds.
Wamil, an accountant and a lawyer, said auditing rules state that aside from the SDO, the head of an agency is also responsible for the funds.
Castro earlier hit back at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s elder sister after the senator posted a video alluding to an “impakta” (witch, or evil woman) in Malacañang with the initials “C.C.”.
‘UNCOMPROMISING NEUTRALITY’
Meanwhile, the Senate impeachment court said it would observe "uncompromising neutrality and due process" following the Supreme Court's dismissal of the petitions assailing the articles of impeachment against Duterte.
"Dahil fully insulated na ang Impeachment Court mula sa anumang nangyari sa House of Representatives, the Impeachment Court begins with a blank slate in this adjudicatory phase,” its spokesperson Reginald Tongol said.
“Simple lang ang magiging standard ng Korte from here: the prosecutors carry the heavy burden of proof, at sisiguraduhin ng Korte na the respondent gets full, uncompromising due process in accordance with the Constitutional guaranty to be presumed innocent,” he added.
Tongol said the court acknowledges the press briefer issued by the Supreme Court en banc on Tuesday regarding the dismissal of the petitions.
“Sa pag-dismiss ng High Court sa mga kasong ito dahil moot na ang isyu, kinumpirma lang nila kung ano ang matagal nang idinidikta ng Konstitusyon: tapos na ang trabaho ng Kamara. The accusatory phase is unequivocally complete; the adjudicatory phase has already commenced before the Impeachment Court,” Tongol said.
He also asserted that the Senate is not a party to the disputes.
"Consequently, the procedural history, evidentiary gathering, and internal findings of the House prior to the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment are exclusively the House’s domain. The Impeachment Court does not inherit their legal disputes, nor will the Court litigate them in the adjudicatory phase of the process," he said.
RELATED VIDEOS: