Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday, July 4 clarified that the Senate Impeachment Court’s recent pronouncements regarding the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte do not reflect the sentiments of all senator-judges.

Hontiveros made the statement after Atty. Regie Tongol said that the impeachment court will not reconvene for the trial until and unless the House of Representatives complies with the two orders it issued last June 10, during a press conference a few days ago.

Tongol also said that Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who is acting as the presiding officer of the impeachment court, is being cautious against convening the court until the Senate presidency in the 20th Congress is settled.

“Atty. Tongol is entitled to speak in his own capacity, but, with all due respect, he does not reflect the voice of the Senate,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“As a deliberative body, the strength of the Senate is in its collective judgement. Based on his statements at a recent press conference, he represents only the position of the Presiding Officer,” she said.

“But he does not represent mine, as one of the Senator-Judges,” she pointed out.

Tongol’s statement, she said, is inconsistent with what they have been previously stating that the impeachment court cannot convene and operate until the 20th Congress begins.

On the other hand, Hontiveros noticed they are already deciding “unilaterally” the rules of the impeachment court.

“Out of respect for the institution, I hope we can be more mindful of process and allow us Senator-Judges to decide only when we are properly convened,” she said.

Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III also agreed with Hontiveros remarks saying she is correct in her observations.

“I concur! She is spot-on!” Sotto said when also asked about Tongol’s statements.

“Even the statements of the Senate President does not reflect the entire Senate unless they emanate from a caucus of the members. Otherwise, it is merely his statements,” said Sotto, a former Senate leader.

Earlier, Sotto said he wished that some people would stop regarding the recent actions of the Senate impeachment court on the impeachment trial of the vice president as a collective decision of the Senate.

“I wish some people would stop using the term ‘Senate handling of the impeachment’ as such, simply because it is actually the handling of a handful of senators, not the Senate!” he said.