Senator Robin Padilla on Monday raised concerns over equal protection and fairness following the Senate impeachment court’s ruling allowing the release of Vice President Sara Duterte’s financial records in connection with the unexplained wealth allegation.
During the seventh day of the impeachment trial, Padilla said that while he supports transparency and the Freedom of Information (FOI) initiative, legal standards must be applied equally to all impeachable officials regardless of position or identity.
“Meron din po kasing napakahalaga yung tinatawag na equal protection of the laws,” Padilla said, citing Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution under the Bill of Rights.
He stressed that every person must be afforded due process and equal protection under the law, adding that the same standards used in the impeachment proceedings should apply to all public officials.
“Ang mga pamantayang ginagamit natin ngayon ay dapat pareho rin ipinatutupad sa lahat ng impeachable officials, anuman ang kanilang pangalan o posisyon,” Padilla said.
The senator also cited the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago’s statement that constitutional analysis is a technical field that requires proper legal interpretation and due process.
“Constitutional analysis is a technical field. Ang pagsusuri sa konstitusyon ay hindi isang sining. Isa itong technical na larangan,” Padilla quoted Santiago.
Padilla questioned whether similar measures were taken during previous impeachment proceedings, including the impeachment case involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., after Senator Alan Peter Cayetano raised the issue during the proceedings.
“Ang akin po lamang, makatarungan ba na hindi parehas ang trato natin dito? Dapat sana parehas eh,” he said.
He suggested that if financial transparency is the standard being applied, all government officials should also be subject to the same level of disclosure.
“Bakit kung ganito ang pamantayan natin, hindi buksan na natin lahat ng bank records natin. Lahat na. Tayong lahat ay buksan na natin lahat para mapakita sa taong-bayan na wala tayong kinikilingan dito,” Padilla said.
Padilla concluded by formally placing his objection to the ruling on record, saying that equal treatment before the law must remain the guiding principle of the impeachment proceedings.
“Pantay-pantay tayo sa harap ng Diyos at ng batas. At hinihingi ko sa inyo na ilagay sa record ang aking pagtutol sa ruling na ito,” he said.
