Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano during Day 5 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on July 14, 2026. Also in photo is Senator-judges Pia Cayetano. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano has lamented that it is hard to argue about legal matters with non-lawyers, after he and other members of the Senate Impeachment Court were asked by Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo to take their personal concerns and grievances outside.
Right after Tulfo spoke during the resumption of the impeachment trial on Monday, Cayetano made his own manifestation, saying that while he is happy that Tulfo spoke about the injustice against Vice President Sara Duterte, it is useless to argue with a non-lawyer why statements on the integrity of senator-judges are important.
Tulfo questioned why some senator-judges are supposedly raising matters unrelated to Duterte’s impeachment trial, saying that this forum should be used to discuss allegations against the Vice President. He raised this concern after Senator-judge Robin Padilla stood up to address a supposedly misleading narrative that he ignored a summons from the Office of the Ombudsman.
