Impartiality in an impeachment trial belongs to the Senate acting as a court, not to the panel arguing the case — that was the thrust of political analyst Prof. Antonio Contreras’ rebuke of Sen. Robin Padilla this week.
Padilla had expressed hope that the prosecution would avoid being “one-sided” in the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte. Contreras countered that the remark misreads how the process works: a prosecution panel exists precisely to advance and prove the case it filed. Neutrality, he said, is the burden carried by the senator-judges who will ultimately rule.
His reaction was blunt.
“Taena. Ang prosecution may side yan. Ikaw dapat ang hindi one-sided!”
Contreras did not stop at the procedural point. He tied his frustration to Padilla’s standing with voters, saying he was speaking up despite the senator’s survey performance.
“Wala. Sasabihin ko na dahil No. 1 ito sa surveys sa pagka-Senador. Magalit na ang magalit. Ang dami talagang bobo! Ang dami-dami!”
The distinction Contreras drew tracks the structure of an impeachment trial itself. Under the Constitution, the House of Representatives holds the sole power to impeach, and its prosecutors function as the accusing party. The Senate sits as the trial court, with each senator taking an oath to do impartial justice, and conviction requires a two-thirds vote of the chamber.
Padilla, a first-term senator elected in 2022, has previously voiced positions sympathetic to the Duterte camp during the impeachment process.
