Romer Butuyan 
ISANG malaking insulto at pagpapakita ng kawalang-respeto sa Saligang Batas kung kakatigan ang mungkahing pahintulutan ang partisipasyon at pagboto sa Senate impeachment trial sa pamamagitan ng teleconference.
Ito ang tahasang sinabi ni Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, na tumatayong tagapagsalita ng House prosecution panel.
“Naiintindihan naman natin na the impeachment process, the impeachment trial is a sacred duty, especially for the senators, to try and decide,” diin ni Adiong.
“So, napaka-importante ito. This is not just an ordinary legislative function where pwede kang mag-Zoom o pwede kang mag-remotely vote,” dagdag pa niya.
Giit ni Adiong, maging sa ordinaryong court proceedings, ang judge ay dapat pisikal na nasa pagdinig para busisiin at timbangin ang mga ipiniprisintang ebidensya at testigo.
“Ang pagkakaalam po namin, physical dapat yung presence ng mga huwes,” ani Adiong.
Punto pa ng kongresista, ang impeachment trial ay may kinalaman sa seryosong constitutional questions na nakatali sa pagkakaroon ng pananagutan o accountability sa public office.
“Pinag-uusapan dito accountability ng isang impeachable officers. I think on that basis alone, that this is a sacred duty. Not being able to be present all the time is an indication that you are not seriously taking your sacred duty, which resonates negatively to the public,” aniya pa.
“For us, for the public to be able to at least derive from their own conclusion the way they have seen the proceedings na fair at talagang tapat ‘yung naging performance ng ating mga senador at huwes,” saad din niya.
Samantala, sinabi ni Adiong na hindi nakakaapekto sa matibay na impeachment case na isinampa ng Kamara laban sa bise presidente ang anumang pagpapalit sa liderato ng Senado, kasama na ang umano’y napipintong pag-upo ni Senador Sherwin Gatchalian bilang Senate President.
“As long as we maintain institutional respect to our co-equal branch, that is an internal dynamic within the Senate. And I think in terms of the decision, collective decision, whether the senators will be changing the leadership, that is entirely up to the decision of the individual senators,” ayon pa sa mambabatas.
“So ang pinanindigan namin, whoever becomes the Senate President or whatever is the composition of the Senate in terms of key positions in the Senate, will not affect the soundness and the volume of evidence that the House prosecution team will be presenting to the impeachment court,” ani Adiong.
Dagdag niya, nananatiling sandigan ng House prosecution panel ang hawak nitong mga matitibay na documentary evidence, testimonya at official record na ilalahad sa Senate impeachment trial para maging batayan upang ganap na hatulan ang nasasakdal.
