Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III emphasized that the senator-judges who make up the impeachment court must remain impartial in Vice President Sara Duterte’s case.

In a press conference on Tuesday, April 21, Sotto said he does not like the term “allies” when referring to certain members of the impeachment court.

“I would like to think that all 24 senators are impartial and should be and must be impartial. (Not only must we be) impartial, we should look impartial. Kaya kahit na may kakampi siya (Vice President Sara Duterte) o may kakampi si ganito, o may kalaban si ganito, mali ‘yung pagbibintangan agad natin… ‘Yung mga maduming alegasyon ay dapat ‘yun ay binabato natin sa basurahan,” he said firmly.

Sotto said that exercising impartiality was “everybody’s own lookout,” and that all senators should know how to conduct themselves.

“The decision of the impeachment court must be based on proven facts. And the impeached official must be given a chance to cross-examine the presentation of the prosecution. So given that, dapat ‘yan blank tayo, neutral dapat ang isang senator-judge,” he said.

“I implore my fellow senator-judges to be impartial in and out of the court. In the discharge of duties, a judge shall not only be impartial but must also appear impartial,” he added.

In addition, the Senate President assured that the impeachment trial will be shown to the public.

“It should be open to everyone, even the pre-trial should be open to everyone—everything that we do, everything that we discuss, must be open to the public,” Sotto said.