MANILA, Philippines — Sen. JV Ejercito on Monday agreed with calls for senators to reject any offer to become vice president should Vice President Sara Duterte be removed from office through impeachment, saying such an appointment could raise questions about their impartiality as members of the impeachment court.
Ejercito said senators should preferably decline the position, as they are tasked with deciding Duterte’s fate in the ongoing impeachment proceedings.
“Ideally, they should not accept it. How can we do that when we are the judges in the impeachment court?” Ejercito said in a media interview.
“I think it would be better, preferably, if it were not accepted. But it would depend on whom the President offers the position to. I would agree with that,” he added.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday also called on senators to turn down any offer to assume the vice presidency, citing the potential conflict of interest arising from their role in Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Cayetano’s call followed Senate Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s statement that he would decline the vice presidency if Duterte were removed from office through impeachment, saying it would be inappropriate for him to assume the post after the Senate had decided her fate.
Ejercito said he had not heard of any offer for the vice presidency being made to senators.
“I haven’t heard anything like that. I haven’t heard of any offer concerning the position,” he said.
Ejercito also cautioned against discussing possible successors to Duterte while the impeachment trial remains unresolved, stressing that the Senate has yet to determine its verdict.
“It should not be discussed. It is premature to talk about the vice presidency while the impeachment trial is ongoing,” Ejercito said.
“We cannot be certain about the impeachment court’s decision. It is not as if a guilty verdict has already been reached,” he added.
