PDP-LABAN senatorial candidate and former Secretary Raul Lambino expressed doubts that Vice President Sara Duterte would receive a fair judgment from a Senate impeachment court filled with senators who may become her rivals in the 2028 presidential elections.
“Let’s face it. Many senators have their sights set on the presidency in 2028, and they see the Vice President as a major obstacle to their political ambitions,” Lambino said in a statement.
“These senators stand to benefit politically if the Vice President is unfairly removed from the race through disqualification from holding public office,” he added.
Section 7, Article 11 of the Constitution states: “Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than removal from office and disqualification to hold any office under the Republic of the Philippines, but the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to prosecution, trial, and punishment according to law.”
Lambino, a lawyer by profession, is a professor at the University of the East College of Law in Manila and the University of Pangasinan College of Law in Dagupan. He previously served in the Cabinet of the past administration and held key positions, including chief executive officer of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority and Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon.
He emphasized that former President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter remains one of the strongest, if not the strongest, contenders for the 2028 presidential election.
Surveys indicate that the Vice President and Sen. Raffy Tulfo are the most preferred presidential candidates among Filipinos for the upcoming elections.
Last month, Vice President Duterte announced that she is still “seriously considering” running for president in 2028.
“In fact, it is highly likely that at least one senator will directly benefit if the Vice President is removed from office,” Lambino pointed out.
He explained that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would likely appoint a senator as the new vice president if the position were vacated.
“This was precisely what happened in 2001 when Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed the presidency and appointed then-Senator Teofisto Guingona as her vice president,” Lambino recalled.
Section 9, Article 7 of the Constitution states: “Whenever there is a vacancy in the Office of the Vice President during the term for which he was elected, the President shall nominate a Vice President from among the Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, who shall assume office upon confirmation by a majority vote of all the Members of both Houses of Congress, voting separately.”
Lambino also highlighted that several incumbent senators have previously attempted to run for president.
Sen. Francis Escudero initially planned to run in the 2016 presidential election but later decided to be the vice-presidential running mate of Sen. Grace Poe. He ultimately lost to Leni Robredo.
Similarly, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano sought the presidency in 2016 but opted to be the vice-presidential running mate of then-Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Like Escudero, he was defeated by Robredo.
Two of the leading senatorial candidates in the May 12 midterm elections, Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao, also ran for president in 2022.
Meanwhile, businessman William Gatchalian has been telling associates that his son, incumbent Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, is expected to run for president or vice president in 2028, possibly alongside Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
